I can still remember. April showers bring May flowers and so what does the Mayflower bring? Pilgrims!
But not those immigrants, silly. Rather, our latest wave of immigration includes those from India, Pakistan, the Pacific Rim, Central America, etc.
Unlike most African-Americans – who were forcibly brought to this country – the immigrants of yesteryear desperately came here to seek a better life in the land of opportunity. Isn’t it a wonderful testament to the United States of America that people still want to come here, even with its warts?
We are probably the most diverse nation on the planet with input from so many different cultures and an appreciation of so many perspectives. The common denominator here is that most people simply want to put food on their table, a roof over their head, and a good education for their offspring… in a peaceful environment. They came from places where they may have been persecuted, tortured, and/or imprisoned for a whole host of reasons…. many of which we cringe when we see and hear the offenses.
The immigrants we have working at Ben’s, most of whom are from Central America, are hardworking, and honorable – dedicated to the job and serving the public well. My heart goes out to these people as they hear all the noise emanating from Washington, D.C. Sometimes, I think they are pawns in some sort of political chess game. They are no more guilty of crimes than those who are American born. They are as striving as any native-born American, maybe more so.
Why do we pick on the weakest among us? What have they done to affect our lives adversely? Does it mean that we should ignore the gangs? Absolutely not. In the same way we went after organized crime and the drug cartels, we should go after gangs and gang members. Most of the immigrants on the low end of the pay scale, who do the jobs that most Americans do not want, serve a real need in society until such time, as they and their offspring can attain the American dream…and then we’ll be ready for the next wave of immigration.
As has been said by much smarter people than me, a society is judged not by how it treats the most well-heeled among us, but the poorest and weakest among us.
See ya at the Deli.
Simply,
Ronnie
