Hypocrisy

American?

What is an American? That is a question we don’t ask ourselves, is it? Do you know your roots, how you came to be here rather than somewhere else?

Michael Gillen, my German great-grandfather, came during the high period of German immigration, the 1870’s. My immediate German ancestors are John – Sebastian – Michael.

On my Durand (maternal) side Jean Durand came from France around 1660 and married Catherine Annennontak. They begot Louis who begot Louis who begot Pierre who begot Joseph who begot Francois who begot Felix who begot Azarie who begot Florence who begot me.

Louis Durand probably first came from Canada into what is now the United States as early as 1680. Those ancestors didn’t pay any attention to borders. “What border?” would have been their question. Louis’ mother was Catherine Annennontak, an important ancestor in the Metis (mixed First Nation and European ancestry) families of Canada. Azarie Durand, my grandfather, settled permanently in Faribault, Minnesota around 1900.

The relocations, dislocations that those first ancestors endured must have been difficult if not traumatic. Catherine’s mother traveled hundreds of miles to safety with her infant following massacre of her father by the Iroquois. How fragile is our ancestry.

I’m proud of my ancestral heritage, though none were ‘documented’ in the modern sense of that term.

Where is this entry going? We attended a talk by Jose Antonio Vargas, an undocumented citizen of the Unites States. He is of Pilipino descent. Briefly, he was sent to live with his grandparents who were here as documented citizens. He only discovered his papers were fake when he applied for a driver’s license. By then his education, his friends, his life were here.

Jose is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, an intelligent, articulate (and humorous) advocate for an intelligent assessment of our complicated laws and system for treating immigrants. I urge you to read his book, “Dear America, Notes of an Undocumented Citizen”. There is a ton of misinformation out there, much propounded by this current administration. Facts are:

– Undocumented persons live shadow lives, afraid of ICE

– They are unable to vote

– They are unable to use welfare or other government benefits

– To the contrary, they and their employers pay their taxes and social security (our government is more than willing to take their money even though they do not use the system)

– The Congressional Budget Office estimates 50 to 75% of undocumented pay federal, state and local taxes. It estimates about $7 BILLION paid annually into Social Security.

– Most undocumented people are NOT Hispanic; they are Asian. [I guess Trump will next want to build a wall across the Pacific!]

– Most people do not want to be dislocated, to leave their friends and family, their culture, their language

I think that last point is most important. The world does not want to come to the United States, as many Americans seem to think. They would prefer to live where they are, assuming they could live in reasonable safety.

And further, though an American of long ancestry, I seriously think of emigrating to another country, but hesitate for the same reasons that other citizens of the world hesitate to leave and come here (family, friends, language, the familiar). I consider it because to me America is not the home of the brave, the land of the free, welcomer of those in need. It has become the home of the cowardly, the land of the oppressors, a country of the greedy guardians of their hoards of wealth without consideration for needs of others. Even many of its churches preach a theology of prosperity, a perversion of the Gospel if there ever was one. . .

‘Amerika’ 2018

I have too long been silent, remiss in expressing myself here. I have not been depressed, but I have greatly limited my exposure to news and commentary. I have almost desperately fled the depressing news of the moral decay of America. I have tried to become a regular practitioner of daily prayer and meditation, my focus on personal change. There comes a time that “even the stones cry out”.

America’s busyness, its preoccupation with wealth and success, its religious hypocrisy (prosperity theology) has made many of its citizens blind to the needs of others and the spirit of the gospel. Politics has long been a dirty business, but has sunk to a morally bankrupt level. As long as we have financial success we care not for our own fragile environment, for our long-standing allies, or for “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. . .the homeless, tempest-tossed. . .” We build walls and separate families and children.

Today’s reading, from the Letter of St. James, reads:

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there”, or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. . .For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Readers and students of history remember that prosperity, albeit false, came to Germany, lifting it from the Great Depression. It came with a regime that persecuted not only Jews, but the handicapped, the outcasts, those that did not fit the mold of what the powers deemed proper. It came with militarism. It came with National Socialism, Nazism, which seems to be the political wind of today, though not called such in our media, financial or polite circles. First, the Nazis persecuted the minorities and the helpless, then their own people.

Are America’s border walls meant to keep people out or its citizens in?

I am a hypocrite, which I hate in myself and in others. I return to a theme that often what we hate in others is the fact that we see our faults more clearly in them.

HYPOCTRITE – from Greek for actor; a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion; a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

There are the obvious hypocrites: the evangelists who fervently preach the gospel, but live in palatial homes, drive luxury automobiles and fly private jets: The Gospel of Reward Me While on Earth Because I Believe. Now where was that in Jesus’ teaching??? I don’t seem to recall that. Nor in the Buddha, nor in any truly spiritual teacher.

Some years ago there was extreme outrage over the abuse of the bodies of slain American soldiers in the streets of Somalia. The mistreatment rightly called for outrage. Yet, at almost the same time the History Channel repeatedly aired footage of our Iraqi invasion, including flaming Iraqi tanks and vehicles. The footage played like a video game, rather than the real life destruction of human life that it was.

We have many adamant pro-life advocates. Understandable, but many of those same people seem unaware and uncaring of the plight of children and the poor. Birth, but then you are on your own.

America is a nation of hypocrites. We claim to be built upon freedom of expression and tolerance, yet stifle opposing views. We claim to be a nation of immigrants, but are suspicious and intolerant of those who are different. Our self-perception is one of education and knowledge, but we glean our news from shallow sources and rumor. We seek to reinforce our views rather than challenge them. We claim to be peace-loving, but have been at war virtually my entire life. Eisenhower, a most respected general, seems to have been our most diligent president in recognizing the threat of war and the power of the military-industrial complex. How many of our leaders since him have been flag lapel wearing, stand at attention for the anthem hypocrites who avoided military service but are all to quick to send young men off to war. And what of other nations? We have meddled in the affairs of others, often because of our “economic interests”. Translate that phrase to our greed and avarice for a lion’s share of the world’s resources.

While other nations seek accords to lessen man’s impact on the environment our nation seeks its own direction of “America First.” If that is who we are as a county, so be it, but let’s not pretend to be a world leader, respectful of others and a friend to all.

Are other countries better than us? No. But America is not better than every country. And there are those from whom we could learn. One example is Bhutan where Gross National Happiness is the national measure rather than Gross Domestic Product, where its people do seem happier than many Americans.

So many of us are self-centered, egotistical, narrow-minded, and have high opinions of ourselves, believing we are better than we are. I don’t hold myself as better than others. I recently read an article asking the question of whether Trump may be the president we deserve. I think as abhorrent as he is, the answer to that question may be ‘yes’.