Thursday, August 11, 2005

How about a German -Swiss American

When the NCAA declared Indian-related names “hostile” and Kirk Wessler wrote what he thought of this bull crap, I decided I was not going to blog on the subject because it again showed that the elitist NCAA has their head up their pants legs or skirts and Kirk had covered the subject well. Then the JSEB comes along saying something like let it go, we have bigger fish to fry, then African-American far left leaning Pam Adams comes with her “Break the habit of racist nicknames” such as “Chiefs” and “Braves”. I decided to put my two cents worth in print. Don’t anybody poke fun at me because I am an authentic Swiss-German American and hereafter I want all County Board members and "you all" out there (thats how we dirt famers talk) to address me as such. Don’t call me a “kraut”, or a “Dutchman” or a “Swiss cheese head”. Don’t call me “Merle the Pearl”, do I look like an oyster? As a Swiss-American whose ancestors who came to the freedom of America because of poverty and religious persecution, I now will form a diversity committee, call all the klan (opps, sorry, I meant clan) together, and get a far left leaning politically correct tort attorney to represent all of us remaining Widmers, Witzigs and Zimmermans and sue everybody that every put us poor dirt farmers and country bumpkins from Congerville down by calling us by an "offensive" nickname, such as Amish. I’m chairman of the Congerville Alumni Association, so I have a lot of power in my klan (oops sorry again, I meant clan. I’m going to sue everybody that called me “Doughy” or “Doughnut” because my “legal”, (he came thru Ellis Island at the age of nine months) immigrant daddy’s name was Donat. This attorney will track down and sue all my college buddies or their descendents who called me “Spider”. Do you think I liked being called an insect?? I am also expecting any day now to hear from an attorney representing my old Air Force buddy, Tony “Cooney” Terriciano, who I (and we) often called “Dago”.

Now I’m not kidding. When my family came to this country, they were German speaking. Each of us nine kids was told we were going to speak English and English only. My dad became a citizen and never wanted to back to Switzerland, even when we kids would have paid for. He wanted us to become Americans. He didn’t even know what politically correct was and he didn’t care what anybody called him or us kids. If we were called derogatory names, that was our problem. We didn’t go crying to “politically correct” congressmen (sorry I meant congress people). In my era there were no ultra liberal college presidents and NCAA wimps who would have been scared of losing their cushy overpaid positions because some minority group like us Swiss-Americans raised a large stink and the liberal media made it look like there was a big “hue and cry” to stop this terrible discrimination against poor Swiss and German Immigrants. One big difference in some of todays cultures is what is known as a lack of a work ethic. Rather, a complain ethic has set in and a “you owe me” ethic often prevails.

Maybe it’s because I don’t listen well but I note that the people preaching “racism” are either a few black or Indian so-called minorities, some a mixture of several races.

Some history says the Indians were here first in the United States of America. They fought fierce battles among themselves. Or maybe Asians were here first. If so they probably fought equally fierce battles among themselves. Then came the European settlers who fought their mother country, they fought the Indians and the Mexicans. They fought themselves in the Civil War. Eventually settlers came from all countries and now the largest number coming in, legally or illegally are Mexicans. They are coming here; few of us are going there. The African slave came mainly from the continent of Africa. Once they were set free and were given the opportunity to earn a living wage or became affluent, did many of them go back to their roots to live? I never knew any of my friends whose skin is a darker texture than mine, who said they were going back to Africa from where their ancestors were carried to these shores, to live and help those that are STILL IN SLAVERY. These friends are also not the ones crying discrimination at every opportunity. They have a role as Americans to make this a better place to live for all people, even illegal immigrants.

Now, let’s get back to the JSEB and columnist Pam Adams. This “hue and cry” over this matter of political correctness has caused this country a lot of grief and this grief has come mainly from a few blacks and a few people of Indian ancestry. Writers like Kirk Wesslerand Ward Connerly and others who believe in what he is saying about racism and “politically correctness”. Common sense people like these must carry the day. Otherwise, my grandchildren will be paying reparations to 10th generation blacks and Indians, many of mixed races. No, JSEB, this is not going to go away until people stand up to this reverse racism. I am not afraid of not being “politically correct”. I told the reader that when I started blogging a year ago.

I refer you to an article written by JS columnist Jerry Klein dated 10/13/02, titled “Bring Back Melting Pot; Diversity is Dividing Nation, An article by columnist Linda Chavez in the JS in 2003 “Racism in the Pursuit of “Diversity”, and “Diversity Stigma” by Jason Riley of the WSJ in 2003 and I quote Bill Cosby who said that “those who struggled and died during the civil rights movement deserve better than what they are getting from those who benefited from their sacrifice.”

People like Pam Adams, Jesse Jackson, NCAA brass, and liberal papers like the JS, drive wedges throughout our nation that turn people who are not racists into wondering why people with all the advantages of living in a free country are trying to tear down the best nation in the world. We must be the best nation with all its flaws or people would not constantly try to enter thru legal or illegal means. Few ever want to go back to where they came from to live in Africa; a continent in distress. The malcontent’s should be returning to their motherland to assist in settling their turmoil. Opportunity abounds. Unfortunately it will be hard work with little of the welfare we offer in America.

I have said it before and will repeat, if you are not happy in America and constantly claim discrimination, you are welcome to depart to any country where you believe you would be more welcome. You will not be missed by many. If you continue to live here and keep complaining about nicknames such as “Chiefs and Braves” as racist, it just makes you sound like you are the racist and ruin the original goal of making America as a “melting pot”.

I have yet to judge any person by race or color. But I do pay attention to what they say or write.

Sorry, readers, I never said in my life that I was “politically correct”. It is a distasteful phrase to me and to most of my friends of any color. Some of what I see, hear and read makes me question if we have the strong leadership necessary to keep this country from winding up some day like Bosnia, Albanians or Serbia. Fundamentalist Islamic radicals or for that matter, fundamentalists of any ilk are dividing this country into enclaves and camps where they preach hate and destruction. This can not be tolerated yet we do not want to become a police state. If some elements of this society are incited into destructive acts, count on more freedoms being taken away to take action against the dangerous radicals of any race or religion.. Too many people do not respect this country and do not care to enter the political process to make changes accepted by the majority. They prefer to whine and try to divide. The actions of the NCAA and Pam Adams do not come close to representing the majority of non-racist citizens.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

As a blogger, you should know there is power in language. I'm not a big fan of political correctness either, but I am a fan of good manners. You would never see a team called the "Nebraska Negros" (even though 'negro' is a dated, but not racist, term). By using team names like "Chiefs" and "Braves" we are viewing American Indians as a mythical people instead of a real people with a real culture. The "tomahawk chop" is foul and disrepectful because it paints an entire race of people as war like. I've been equally disgusted watching people in full Indian head dress and move in what they believe is a tribal dance. When an real Indian wears a full head dress and dances, it is part of a sacred religious ceremony.
I happen to be white and Catholic. I would be horrified if I ever saw a crowd wearing mock bishop's hats or dressing like priests at a Notre Dame game and trying to pump up the crowd by crossing themselves and shouting, "FATHER, SON, HOLY GHOST... BEAT ARMY!!!"
I know there are alcoholic Indians and many casinos sponsored by Native American tribes. (There are alcoholic Catholics and priests who molest children.) No one is saying the culture is perfect. That doesn't excuse being disrespectful and embracing such poor manners.
I would think a man of your generation and demeanor would understand as much.

Merle Widmer said...

Somebody is missing the point and it's not me. I was born on a farm and when I see "city slickers" dressed up to look like us "farmers" in a play or a movie,, I laugh and enjoy the show. If anyone thinks I think being called a Chief or a Brave is derogatory, sorry, I say you have your opinion and I have mine.

When I was in school, we were taught that a Negro was a "member of a dark-skinned race, native to Africa." If you are saying the term Negro is now out dated, you in effect are saying the term is politically incorrect. Sorry you are part of the problem, not part of the solution of an integrated America.(Dictionary says integrated means "bring or come into equal participation in or membership in a society." Looked it up in my modern day Thesaurus too and, by golly, it says the same thing today.

I believe I am Caucasian by race. If some one wanted to be stupid as to name a team, say the "Peoria Caucasians" or the "Congerville AC's", I'd laugh again.

Looked up Chiefs and Braves also in my Thesauraus and found nothing derogatory about the words. In fact it says a chief "is a leader or ruler." It further states a chief is "the head of a department; the highest official." People can and did call me "Chief" (who knows I may have 1/15 part Indian in my blood and may get to own a Casino someday) was I or would I be be offended? I think not.

Your feeling and those of your ilk, are way in the minority judging by the e-mails, I'm receiving, what I read and conversations with my friends and peers.

As a blogger, I write for my own enjoyment and if others enjoy reading me so much the better. Go back to my beginning blog. I said "Warning-this is not a politically correct blog site."

Being a legal citizen in a country of free speech, I'm just excercising my rights just like Indians and Blacks; I won't use the term Negro (some native and some of mixed origins)have a right to do and are doing today.

Are you one of those "bleeding liberals" who say "we brought it on ourselves" when watching the terrorists use the "terrorist chop" as they behead innocent or helpless people. (I also looked up "scalping" in my source book and it says "the scalp of an enemy cut away as a trophy by a Native American.) Hmmmm.

Anyway, I'm growing weary of defending my persecuted Caucasian descendents and how their descendents persecuted the Blacks and Indians. Suggest you read more of the history of the Indian tribes and how they massacred their own. Read a little history of Africa and how the Africans sold their own people into slavery and are still doing it in some places today. Ask yourself why descendants of African slaves have not returned in large quantities to their homeland?

They say that Saddam murdered his own people in large quantities and different ways. Today we protect him like an endangered species with the "bleeding liberals" watching our every move so they can give solace to the terrorists and tell them how terrible we Americans are.

So sad. Our forefathers must be twisting in their graves.

Anonymous said...

If someone sees a Native American walking down the street and says, "Hey there Chief!" It's rude.

If someone sees a woman walking down the street and says, "Hey Baby, nice ass." It's rude.

If someone one sees you, Merle Widmer, walking down the street and says, "Hey there Old Man!" It's rude.

If you laugh it off you might be a superior being, but it doesn't change the fact that such a comment is RUDE.

Like I said, I don't care much for political correctness. I do appreciate good manners. People who embrace terms like Chief are, in my book, the same idiots who hack and spit in public, talk loudly in restaurants on cell phones, and swear in front of children.

I don't think such a view makes me a "bleeding liberal." It just means I was raised by people who cared about their fellow man, and if they inadvertantly did something offensive or hurtful they would take steps to correct it instead of defending their error.

Indians don't want to be called "Chief." They don't want you to call your team "Chief." Who are you to say that is wrong? Maybe you don't want to be called "Mary Weirdo." I don't mean it to be offensive, but if you don't like it, who am I to question it?

There is difference between being polite and being political or politically correct. I'm not asking for legislation banning the term "Chief." I'm simply asking for people to realize that there is a real and true culture, that a real and true (not mythical) people takes pride in.

Visit the Navajo Nation in Farmington New Mexico sometime if you want proof. You will find Indians there who make beautiful art, pray in the same way as their ancient ancestors, care and respect nature in accordance with their ancient beliefs. Ever heard ot the "Trail of Tears?" Is there any doubt that Native Americans have been treated horribly in the past? Shouldn't that make us more sensitive to their pain now?

If Catholics and Notre Dame want to exploit themselves it's their right. However, I seriously doubt there are any Native Americans on the Bradley basketball team.

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