Just because I do not rant like a self-righteous manic does not mean I am not impacted by the chaos occurring in our country or abroad. I am increasingly stressed and I feel like I am witnessing the fall of society. I work all day in a stressful environment trying to help folks living with stigma everyday. Ask any of my coworkers how much this type of work drains the emotional senses of a person who is a helper who continuously swims against the tide in order to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. It is exhausting work. Today, I stepped out of my norm of salads and fruits and ordered a pizza to be delivered to work for lunch. I can honestly say "I ate my feelings today". I am not as liberal as some. I am not as conservative as some. Does this make me a bad person? I know right from wrong. I believe in Christian values. I am not overly fanatical as it pertains to Christian values. I believe we need to meet people where they are at. I am not going to call people all sorts of names because their value system is not my value system. Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity though reading posts on social media these days reaffirms I am in the minority. There is a lot of ignorance around. There is a lot of reactionary folks arguing their points and I have to wonder if they realize they are not helping people understand but they are succeeding in shutting people down and turning people off. I refuse to argue or debate with people who believe they are right and everyone else is wrong. I am just not allowing myself to go there. I prefer to take the higher road. That being said, I have my own opinions. I also have my questions. How many of those folks say they are not racist but few to none of their friends are minorities? How many have gay or lesbian friends? Muslim friends? How many folks want freedom of speech but more government regulations? Scream Fascism but want Socialism? How about Democracy? I am not a political person but I am a historian who has studied European and American history for many years. I have done my research. I have volunteered on National Historic Committees. I have given tours. I belonged to The Civil War Trust. I am a daughter of the Civil War Group. Both my paternal and maternal great great grandfathers fought for the North in the Civil War. The maternal Grandfather fought at the Battle of Gettysburg where his name is on a monument. His discharge papers hang in my home. My paternal grandfather was a prisoner in a Southern Prison.
My cousin fought and died under Custer in the Battle of Little Big Horn and is currently interred out there. He was considered a hero who saved men under Reno during the battle. His name is in history books and on a monument at Little Big Horn. My uncles and father served in the Korea and Vietnam Wars. My cousin was 19years old when he was killed in the Vietnam War. His name is on the Vietnam Memorial in both Washington DC and Penn's Landing. My brother served in the Navy. One of my sons joined the service immediately after 9/11. Soldiers and Sailors fighting for what they thought was right at the time. It's about history whether good or bad. None of us can erase history but we will try to do so. I really do not understand why monuments are being removed. Why people believe they are bad reminders. I think we should be reminded of our history as to avoid repeating it. I do not think the concentration camps should be removed in Poland or Germany or the famine houses in Ireland or the castles in England and Scotland. I truly believe that we have to view events in history through that century's eyes. I also believe we cannot repeat the mistakes of the past. Then there is the question of immigration? If you come to a country and want to make it your home, do the legal footwork. My ancestors did. When my grandmother's family came in the early 20th century they had to have a sponsor, a job and a place to live or they were not permitted to enter this country. If they were sick, they were sent back? I know this because I did the research. I saw the documents.
