La Tierra Del Libre

You know how people forward dopey emails up the wazoo but never write a personal word? This was my relationship with a Florida friend for many years. She sent me 1 or 2 boderline emails in the past which I ignored but a recent email, calling for nullification of the "Mexican boycott" on May 1st, really pissed me off and I needed to respond. I told her I was insulted and it was hardly just about Mexicans, May 1st was about action for all immigrants. To call it The Mexican boycott is deliberately insulting. I am stunned at her defensive response and her need to justify her racism which included bile against several more ethnic groups as she defended her bigotry. I can accept that there are many who have different beliefs than I, but shouldn't one know one's audience before one starts proselytizing? Did she think I went bigot too? She knows we live in Brooklyn and and that we made a conscious decision to live in a culturally diverse neighborhood. Did she assume that I'd agree with her just by virtue of the fact that we are both white? A lot of people make that mistake, whether I know them or not, and drop racist remarks like one-liners. Not funny, not right. Why is this is still an issue: racist remarks are not OK, deameaning remarks are not OK. It used to embarrass me in my youth and I'd change the subject uncomfortably, but I'm old enough so I don't have to listen to or take that kind of crap anymore.

I'm loving this whole national anthem in Spanish business, it sure will endear Jorge to the Hispanic vote. There were some great letters in the Times for and against. Many felt that it should be translated into many languages, as it should, so all might understand the words. Some felt that everyone should learn English in order to live here; one said, " who can imagine La Marseillaise being sung in English?" Well Ma'am, I sure have heard it in English along with Hatikvah and other National Anthems.
The best letter, I will show in it's entirey:
"Regardless of what language the American national anthem is sung in, it is nearly impossible for anyone to dance to the tune." A sage comment.
You know, when I was just a little b, in school we sang the national anthem weekly. I had no idea what most of those words meant, and they were never explained. It's incredibly difficult to sing- even a mediocre performance will elicit waves of applause - it doesn't even make a good poem and the imagery sucks. We should just get rid of The Star-spangled Banner altogether and replace it with America, the Beautiful, which says it all and then some: "and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea." Which due to global warming will soon be the Midwest. We will be in close quarters. We better learn to get along.