Friday, June 22, 2007

Why Stand Up, Only To Then Lay Down?

By Mack

I couldn't agree less with Eva Melo's post from yesterday. It seems she is calling for the Hispanic Community to voice their collective outrage over drunk driving. I have to ask, why? What exactly does this accomplish? If we allow the xenophobes from talk radio, or, the anonymous comments from some lazily written story in our local rag to define how it is we get "accepted" by mainstream America, then we had all better wear some comfortable shoes, as we will be dancing for quite awhile. Does she not see that we will then have to publicly announce that we are against poor people with TB crossing the border and infecting "Mainstream America"? That logic would have the Irish Community publicly denounce murder if the perpetrator was named Fitzpatrick.

When I was young, the "perception" was that Mexicans were lazy. It only took around 40 years to change that. Now, Mainstream America at least acknowledges that we are hard-working. We didn't change that perception by standing up and proclaiming we were against slackers, we just didn't become slackers. All we need to be is who we are.

It is perfectly fine for leaders in the Hispanic Community to express condolences to the family of the victim, as we grieve with them. However, the ethnicity or legal status of the perpetrator isn't relevant to this tragedy. Would we grieve any less if the crime had been committed by someone named Smith? Of course not.

Lets not play in to the fear-monger's hands.

2 comments:

  1. I would like to see the numbers on the HisPANIC crime wave in Nashville.
    Is anyone aware of a study showing the numbers on crime in Nashville? A cry for action should start with a determination of the reality.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Eva. We shouldn't accept murderers, rapists, and people who kill by their actions. I applaud her for standing up and saying something.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...