Who are we?
Who are we, we Americans?
Where is the value that all men and women are created equal? White, Black, Native, Asian, Hispanic … it matters not to me. I will do my best to pull back my veil of innate prejudice to see your character, to hear your story, to feel your pain.
BUT, if you are peeking out from under a hood, believing that your whiteness makes you somehow “better” than the brown-skinned person beside you, consider: you had no more to do with your whiteness than they had to do with their brownness. If you are “proud” to say you are better than the rest, waving a weapon in the name of “patriotism,” you are no patriot. If you’re wearing a cross or carrying a cardboard sign proclaiming “Jesus Saves,” while refusing to love your neighbor, shame on you.
This nation was founded on the idea of freedom of religion, so Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists and worshipers of the sun, moon and stars can live together, peacefully, under the same sun, moon and stars. Claiming your religion is above all others is no more gallant than claiming your skin color is “better.” Are you asking us to blame God for your bad behavior?
These pretenders of patriotism are, at best, misguided. If you show up at any rally for equality in your combat gear, pretending to be ready to shoot someone, shoot me. I’ll be easy. I’m old and unarmed. I AM an American.
Bill Yeend
Spokane