Returning to penmanship

Dear Reader,

I'm really, really trying to get back into writing, at least once a week. Here's his week's topic:

If you had to name the single most regrettable thing about your country's history, what would it be?

I'm reminded of a scene in the sci-fi movie Alien Nation. In it, a slave ship from another planet crashes near Los Angeles and the creatures aboard find themselves as a new minority in the City of Angels. As usual, it is not easy going, as many people suddenly say, "they are infrindging on my rights! They are reducing my freedoms." The aliens cannot assimalate smoothly besides their abilty to learn at an advanced rate and helping the economy.

In this particular scene, both a human (James Caan) and an alien (Mandy Patankin) are getting drunk and letting the sparks fly. The alien realizes something the human never could. See, the human had all the rights and freedoms of his country for so long, he never realized that they might not be excluding anyone. The alien speaks up, stating, "This country has given itself laws and ideals to which no one ever believed--and a group of people so ignorant of it they might as well get rid of them."

The truth of the scene, played in microcosm is that people don't realize what they have. And when someone who has been marginalized in any way asks for the same, the "haves" feel their ownership is diminished. That the value of the thing they have been privledged to has somehow been taken down a notch.

Let's move the scope back.

America was built on freedom. Yet, it was built with slaves. It took a good one hundred years of wrangling before this blight was removed and the word "freedom" could even remotely be defined as such. It took a hundred years more before those who were 'freed' could even have laws to protect them.

The darkest time our nation is experiencing is ongoing. We use the word freedom liberally, but have yet to understand its meaning at all. We say everyone deserves equality, but will do our best to make sure only some can sing it's praises.

Case in point, if someone says, "I'm sorry, but that makes me not take part equally, do you mind if can," there is always someone, SOMEONE who says, "no, sorry, you can't." They can usually find a decent reason to remove a fellow human from the rat race. They can quote scripture, human nature, past history or ignorance in their defence.

And freedom remains stagnant.

Freedom, like flowers, should grow and change to it's environment.

But so many hope it does not.

Why is that?

This time is regrettable. Regrettable that, after all these ages, it has not ended. I see little people, gays and lesbians, handicapped and Arabs wanting an equal part of the pie. Yet there are several who do not wish it, simply because they don't understand the feelings of oppression. Sure, you can look at me, and state, "it's because you think you are oppressed, Roo, that you can sign such."

But that is not true. I had a Jewish father, unrelated to me. I heard things my 'friends' said and began ot realize---they don't understand this religion, this group at all...and they were here BEFORE CHRIST.

Jews are still marginalized as well.

And now we are faced with the high possibilty of an African American president. And I sitll hear people yelling, "I won't vote for him...he's black."

And freedom's worth shrinks a bit more.

This is the blight and tragedy that needs to be stopped.4