I Survived
Despite being exposed to a deluge of anti-Mexican rants and conspiracy theories on how the “Mexicans” are going to take over America, I made it through the weekend. Barely.
I’ve said it before and I’ll probably mention it again: My dad is racist. I’ve come to realize that he’s racist not out of anger or hatred, but out of fear. Fear of potential change. Fear that our country will basically be as corrupt as the Mexican government is.
Well, our government is already corrupted, rife with companies (aka corporate leeches) seeking out special interests—but hey, this isn’t a political post so I’ll let my rants go. For now. (I won’t even go into the hypocrisy of worrying about the Mexicans taking over….let’s say my dad is right…..they’re doing exactly what the white folks did a couple hundred years ago to the Indians. Only with a little less blood. Fortunately, my dad isn’t right.)
Thank goodness I was able to distract him with Jeepers Creepers—a horror movie.
But—racism aside—he does have good qualities. He always listens to me, tries to help out with the handyman stuff around the house, gives good bear hugs. I do love him even if I’m embarrassed and a little bit angered by his attitude toward certain minorities. (He does have a major mental disability that affects how he reads…he can’t… AT ALL….and that cuts him some slack with me.)
It’s hard to juggle the conflicting thoughts of pure mortification and familial love.
Mom—was extremely sweet. She’s 78 and somehow that fact has escaped me until this visit. She’s getting old and her age is catching up to her. Fast. During breakfast at a local restaurant, I couldn’t help but notice how her hands bore more liver spots and how they slightly shook as she held her coffee.
The knowledge that she is 78 has finally struck home—and it is terrifying. I don’t want to lose the only mother I’ve ever known.
I think it’s time to make peace.
Posted on July 2, 2008, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments.
V is for Valkyrie 
Your dad and I probably wouldn’t get along. Yes, it is sad to realize a relative, any relative, is getting older.
I am probably more lenient on the immigrant, illegal immigrant, Mexican, Hispanic issue than just about anyone I know. Even so, there are certain ones I don’t think should be here: the flag-burning America-hating ones (why come to this country if you hate it and its people so much?) and criminals (we already have plenty of our own here already).
But the vast majority are here to work, and they find a home here because they are doing something productive (which quite often means doing a job better than a native-born American)
Off my soapbox.
I think the ones dealing meth, and I know they are in the minority, should be immediately transferred to a prison. Down in Mexico so they aren’t a burden to us.
Oh how I can relate! My dad has a huge problem with illegals because he came from a foreign country and got in by following the rules. So of course, anyone who wants to seek a better life, work hard, yet did not follow the rules exactly is should be deported in his book.
I thought about the only thing Bush did right was come up with the amnesty and guest worker programs for illegal immigrants. But the fools in Congress ruined that. What hypocrites – illegal immigration benefits big business because of cheap labor, so although the conservatives may bitch about illegal immigration, they will never do anything constructive about it, because it would cut into their profits.
Bran: Then, if we are deporting the Mexican meth dealers, what is so special about the native-born ones that we have to keep them instead of deporting them too?
Native born people are technically, for the most part I think, legal. Therefore we have to do something with them.
Get rid of the social welfare system and you get rid of the immigration problem. The only people that would come here then would be legitimate worker who want to earn their money not leech it off of the wealthy