My grandparents, well over 80 or 90 years ago now, were born in America as a result of their parents, my great-grandparents, coming from Mexico trying to make a better life.
They didn't come here to make money to send back to Mexico. They didn't come here to have kids that would "anchor" them here".
They came to make a life and had kids in the process of living, Like most of us do.
When my grandparents,when asked about what nationality they were, would automatically reply, "American".
They had to work their entire lives in farm fields, packing houses and as hospital house cleaning to make their living, but they did it.
They grew up in small mid-western towns, not being allowed in some restaurants. Enduring the same forced segregation as any one else in the south. Stores and movie theatres with bathrooms and drinking fountains that had signs. one for white people, the other for everyone else.
My grandfather was beaten in the street to the point of hospitalization simply because he looked too "Mexican" to a couple of drunken "Americans" who came across him on their way from a bar.
To the day he died, he never claimed to be anything but an American.
All of my grandparents grew up speaking Spanish. Their parents insisted that they learn to speak English though. That's what Americans do, they speak English.
My grandparents were born Americans to people who came to America without "legal" paperwork. Of course, this was back over around 90 years ago or so and the immigration laws were not the same as they are now.
They grew up, never getting much past the third and fourth grades in school because times were so hard that their families depended on them to help make ends meet at home.
They made sure though that their kids at least got to high school, more than they had accomplished.
I was the first one on that side of my family to get a post high school education.
Because of the example of my grandparents, I take great pride in being an American.
Being an American means having opportunities. To go from people living as migratory farm workers with little to no schooling to being a homeowner and small business owner with a post high school education in three generations.
Talk about incredible opportunities. It hasn't been easy or just given up. WE have had to work hard, scratching for every bit of it as we went along. Always being there to help each other when we could.
My grandparents were perfect examples of giving others a hand up, not just a hand out. If they helped you, it was because you earned it. I expect to be the same way with my kids and grandkids when the day comes.
My family was born to be American. We believe that you get what you make. Earning what you get instead of taking it like a common thief. We have expectations of ourselves and others.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Individual rights versus personal choices
A little black girl isn't 'comfortable' with her hair. so daddy had a new muppett made to run around on Sesame Street to show everyone that it's ok for little black girls to have different hair.
Some cross dressers and halfway done transsexuals don't feel comfortable with using either the men's or womens' bathrooms in public places, so they want the government to force businesses to build 'unisex' bathrooms to make them more comfortable.
People from other countries who don't speak English aren't comfortable taking drivers license tests in English. So, many cities offer the testing in Spanish and other languages now. Forget that the traffic signs and street signs are all in English anyway.
I realize this is America. Individualism is supposed to be recognized and respected. However, I think we are taking things a bit too far anymore with demanding that everyone needs to conform to one particular persons or specific groups wants or comfort levels.
One city is considering changing their local discrimination law to include discrimination against gay, trans-gender and cross dressing persons.
What?
You know, I run my own business. I pay for everything in terms of materials, supplies, equipment, advertising, everything. I put all my time, effort and energy into my business and I have ways that I want my business run. I have my own ideas of how my business is represented to the public.
If Joe Somebody wants to wear women's clothes in his own time, that's fine. Knock yourself out. If he wants to wear women's clothes at work, then he better think again if he works at my business.
If he wants to wear women's clothes while he does the type of work he would do for me, then perhaps he should start his own business, like I did, to do things the way he wants things to be done. Like I did.
Men in women's clothes, women in men's clothes, men wanting to be women, women wanting to be men, and everything else associated with all that, is personal. Things you do on you own time, in your own place.
If you want to be a woman walking down the street dressed like a guy, be my guest. I am telling you right now people, you are free to express yourself, we have laws already existing that protect that.
However, people need to stop trying to force acceptance of their individual choices on others. I have a right to my own opinion and I can like or not like, agree or disagree, with anything I choose. Just as you have the right to do and think as you choose, for the most part.
No, I do not "need" to accept or approve of anyone's chosen lifestyle or personal issues. Trying to force me to have to accept your fetish for the other genders clothes and behavior is tantamount to telling me I am not free to express my own opinions or values anymore in deference to yours.
Should I fire someone just because they like to dress up or engage in relations in a way different than I? Of course not, as long as it's on your own time. When you are working for me, you are on my time, representing my business.
If you come to work in a way that I don't think helps my business or is distracting and to the other workers or is not what I think represents my business the way I intend my business to be represented, I should have every right to run my business as I see fit and ask you to leave or terminate your employment. I don't run my business to you can make your personal whims public.
I also have the right, or should, to hire who I decide will best work and represent my business, not who the gov't tells me they want me to hire. If the gov't wants that person to have a job, they should hire them.
I speak English and can speak enough Spanish to get by. I often listen to Mexican music, in Spanish, at home, in my car, wherever I am, on my own time. When I am working for someone else and I can listen to music, I ask if playing my Mexican music is ok at work. If it is great, if not, I respect that. It's not my company, I just work there.
I don't impose my personal choices and preferences on others in a place that's not mine. I also know where I live and work. If I take on a job over in Iitaly, I would fully expect them to expect me to speak italian over there. After all, Iam in Italy, not the U.S. or even Engalnd where English is the priamry language.
I don't expect to walk into China and demand that they give me a drivers license test in English knowing that the traffic signs and all other public communication is in Chinese. That would be stupid and rude of me.
Individual rights and freedoms are NOT the same thing as individual wants and wishes.
People and the government are getting them confused and it needs to stop.
Some cross dressers and halfway done transsexuals don't feel comfortable with using either the men's or womens' bathrooms in public places, so they want the government to force businesses to build 'unisex' bathrooms to make them more comfortable.
People from other countries who don't speak English aren't comfortable taking drivers license tests in English. So, many cities offer the testing in Spanish and other languages now. Forget that the traffic signs and street signs are all in English anyway.
I realize this is America. Individualism is supposed to be recognized and respected. However, I think we are taking things a bit too far anymore with demanding that everyone needs to conform to one particular persons or specific groups wants or comfort levels.
One city is considering changing their local discrimination law to include discrimination against gay, trans-gender and cross dressing persons.
What?
You know, I run my own business. I pay for everything in terms of materials, supplies, equipment, advertising, everything. I put all my time, effort and energy into my business and I have ways that I want my business run. I have my own ideas of how my business is represented to the public.
If Joe Somebody wants to wear women's clothes in his own time, that's fine. Knock yourself out. If he wants to wear women's clothes at work, then he better think again if he works at my business.
If he wants to wear women's clothes while he does the type of work he would do for me, then perhaps he should start his own business, like I did, to do things the way he wants things to be done. Like I did.
Men in women's clothes, women in men's clothes, men wanting to be women, women wanting to be men, and everything else associated with all that, is personal. Things you do on you own time, in your own place.
If you want to be a woman walking down the street dressed like a guy, be my guest. I am telling you right now people, you are free to express yourself, we have laws already existing that protect that.
However, people need to stop trying to force acceptance of their individual choices on others. I have a right to my own opinion and I can like or not like, agree or disagree, with anything I choose. Just as you have the right to do and think as you choose, for the most part.
No, I do not "need" to accept or approve of anyone's chosen lifestyle or personal issues. Trying to force me to have to accept your fetish for the other genders clothes and behavior is tantamount to telling me I am not free to express my own opinions or values anymore in deference to yours.
Should I fire someone just because they like to dress up or engage in relations in a way different than I? Of course not, as long as it's on your own time. When you are working for me, you are on my time, representing my business.
If you come to work in a way that I don't think helps my business or is distracting and to the other workers or is not what I think represents my business the way I intend my business to be represented, I should have every right to run my business as I see fit and ask you to leave or terminate your employment. I don't run my business to you can make your personal whims public.
I also have the right, or should, to hire who I decide will best work and represent my business, not who the gov't tells me they want me to hire. If the gov't wants that person to have a job, they should hire them.
I speak English and can speak enough Spanish to get by. I often listen to Mexican music, in Spanish, at home, in my car, wherever I am, on my own time. When I am working for someone else and I can listen to music, I ask if playing my Mexican music is ok at work. If it is great, if not, I respect that. It's not my company, I just work there.
I don't impose my personal choices and preferences on others in a place that's not mine. I also know where I live and work. If I take on a job over in Iitaly, I would fully expect them to expect me to speak italian over there. After all, Iam in Italy, not the U.S. or even Engalnd where English is the priamry language.
I don't expect to walk into China and demand that they give me a drivers license test in English knowing that the traffic signs and all other public communication is in Chinese. That would be stupid and rude of me.
Individual rights and freedoms are NOT the same thing as individual wants and wishes.
People and the government are getting them confused and it needs to stop.
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