Aliens: Legal, Illegal, and NOW

I am the family historian.  It isn’t the job I wanted, but it is a job I have grown into.  The Blaisdell branch of the family (my maternal grandfather) has been in this country since 1635.  A branch of his family came to Minnesota via Canada.  They left Massachusetts to Canada at around the time of the Revolutionary War.  A little creative intelligence tells me that those ancestors (about 9 generations back) were probably British sympathizers.  At this point I need to ask one question.  Does this make me less of an American?  Does this put my self-expressed love for this country and near reverence for its Constitution in doubt?  Am I under suspicion because of what my ancestors did 170 years before I was born?

            Most of you out there are probably thinking two things (my readers are all exceptionally intelligent).  First, that what my ancestors did makes no difference to how I should be judged today.  I am a free standing being, making my own choices, my own decisions and my own mistakes.  For all of which I should be accountable both publicly and privately.  Second, you are thinking that the first answer is so patently obvious that I must be aiming for some other target.  Bingo!  I told you my readers are smart!

              I was not shocked, but certainly disappointed, to learn that two prominent Latino Republican politicians are being investigated by their opponents to find out if they had any illegal aliens in their ancestral past.  Governor Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida are under attack by Democratic Latino activists.  None of these activists have examined the family history of Democratic legislators.  Why?  They will tell you it is because they want to hold up as hypocritical the descendants of illegal aliens who now are opposed to the same. 

            Actually, the only hypocrites are the people doing the exposé of Latino Republicans.  These Democratic activists may say they are looking out for Latino’s but they are really just looking out for Democratic tickets.  By the way, looking out for your party’s political success is a legitimate activity; just don’t try to put on the pristine robe of ethnic defender when you are just a stereotypical ward hack.

This whole ugly business reminds me of why I quite the National Organization for Women.  In 1974 a feisty, beautiful, intelligent and successful woman, Millicent Fenwick, was elected to the Congress from New Jersey.  She was a successful legislator and had a 100% positive voting record on women’s issues.  In 1982 Millicent ran for the Senate against Frank Lautenberg.  During that election NOW endorsed Lautenberg.  Both then and now I considered myself an advocate for women’s rights, and at that time I was a member of NOW.  Silly me!  When I contacted NOW to find out why they weren’t endorsing Fenwick they said she wasn’t a women’s advocate.  I quoted their own voting record for her and it’s 4-star rating, only to be told—after some hemming and hawing as I recall—that they were sure she would support, “Reagan’s agenda” if she was elected.  That is when the light bulb went on.  NOW wasn’t an advocate for women’s rights; they were shill’s for the Democrats, pure and simple.  What a fool I had been. 

Ancestors pass on a great deal to us, but what we do with it is all our own.  I like to think that mine gave me the ability to smell a rat when one sneaks into the room. 

            Support good representatives regardless of sex, race, religion or ethnicity and keep the faith. 

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