Saturday, July 3, 2010

Does it Never End?~

In 1964, my mother and brother moved to Dearborn, Michigan.
The street they lived on was small neighborhood, pleasant, with well maintained lawns and landscaping. You could walk down the street anytime of the day and feel relatively safe. Maybe the only noises you'd hear would come from a cluster of kids riding their bikes up and down the street, or playing jump rope. Once it got dark,the kids came in: Any big time crime was in the city of Detroit.
My mother and her hubby seemed happy there, the neighbors were friendly, and all was well with their world.
Keep in mind mom was born and raised in Garfield Heights, Ohio, surrounded by German immigrant families. Her culture, her world would not tolerate, and became suspect if families of other nationalities tried to move into her neighborhood. The owner of the local supermarket must be white caucasian, and preferably German.The same standards stood for the local owner of the drug store, the bakery, and any other place of business where my grandparents would spend their hard earned money.

But her level of tolerance grew a bit, when she lived in Dearborn. Back in the late 60's a few of the convenience stores were operated by Islamics. I remember her asking in her offhanded way, " Where did these people suddenly come from?"

Well, bless her heart and soul she passed in'72'. And I haven't been back to Dearborn since. AS things stand, I doubt I would ever go back, even to visit her burial site. I hear I would not feel comfortable with all the drastic changes in the neighborhood. I would feel more like a out of place stranger to this once American city. In fact I understand, I would not be allowed to attend the local festivals.

And, yet, I wonder if we Americans prohibited the Islamics from visiting our festivals, would we be be breaking some Constitutional law?
And, if we had our Christian prayer times, and prayers, blasted through the neighborhood, calling people to prayer, wouldn't we be arrested for disturbing the peace?

Is this what my dad went to war for, so that other nationalities could immigrate to the USA only to completely take over one of our cities and turn it into their city with their laws?

I thought in coming to this country, you learned the ways of the USA, you learned English , you melted into the city, you did not take it over.

I'm glad mom is gone, she wouldn't be able to understand what had happened to her Dearborn, Michigan.

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