First of all,
I must contradict my title,
to some extent.
America has deep divisions,
frightening divisions,
between
black
and white
and brown,
between men
and women,
between straight
and LGBT,
and,
most of all,
between
conservatives,
and liberals.
Conservatives feel that their moral standards,
the implementing,
the making into law,
of their moral standards,
is the most important thing to do.
So important,
they will let folks die,
rather than help them.
Rather than let Democrats help them
with tax money.
This refusing to help
is done to get Republicans in power,
so the conservatives
can force their moral standards
into the law of the land.
Yes,
we have deep divisions.
However.
We have more guns per 100 citizens,
(90),
way more than any other country.
link to chart
Way more.
Yet.
Did Americans,
in the wake of 9/11/01,
use those guns
to slaughter Muslims,
all over America,
by the thousands?
I wasn't following the news that closely
at that time,
but I don't recall
thousands dead,
killed in acts of
off-target revenge.
And that's my point,
it would have been
off-target,
way off the mark.
Because,
here in America,
we have a way of connecting
with each other.
In spite of all the deep divisions,
we Americans,
apparently,
feel,
deep down,
that all Americans
are family,
our family.
And we don't kill family.
We may have divisions,
arguments,
resentments,
furious anger,
aimed at each other.
But.
We are angry
at our family members.
Our family.
And we don't kill family.
Of course,
I understand,
our homicide rate is
more than 5 murders
per 100,000 folks,
per year.
But the killing seems,
to me,
mostly petty bickering,
heat of the moment,
not organized,
not systematic.
I think the reason for our unity
is this:
None of us,
not any ethnic group of us,
is the "regular"
or
"real"
Americans.
None of us.
First nations?
(native Americans)
They are a small minority,
with many of them
having membership in tribes
that have treaties
with the USA.
?
If you are an American,
how can you have a treaty
with America?
And that's the situation
of the Americans with 25,000 years
of advance claim to belonging here.
And,
the rest of us
are recent immigrants.
Bottom line,
unless you make it clear
that you just got off the plane,
and you're getting back on,
real soon,
to get back to your home country,
unless you make that clear,
we will accept you,
as an American,
as family.
And we won't kill you.
Not saying no one gets killed here,
but you won't be killed,
not likely to get killed,
because of your language,
because of your religion,
because of your clothing,
or hair style.
Welcome to America.
Thanks for reading.