Back in 1959 when I was 9 a swastika was chalked on the sidewalk of a Jewish neighbor. We all giggled not knowing the full meaning of that swastika and went on our merry way.
When I arrived home my dad asked me about the incident. I wistfully said, that the older boys got caught drawing stupid stuff on the sidewalk in front of the Glazer's house.
My father was Catholic and a first generation Lithuanian-American. He got his college degree from the GI Bill and a house loan too -- he was part of America's Greatest Generation because of those benefits.
My dad brought out magazines, newspapers and books that showed Malcolm X, RFK, tons of white people and Martin Luther King Jr. all marching together for civil rights. He showed me the brutality of white Southerners towards our black fellow citizens. The main stream media gave a full and accurate account, pictures and all.
He said to me, "We all have rights in the USA. We are all human beings. Never forget that. We all put our pants on the same way."
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| No, Bubba, I'm a Sikh, not a Muslim. |
My dad would often approach Sikhs in the USA and introduce himself and express his fondness and gratitude for them and how they helped the USA during WWII.
To me, that is what will make America great again. Respect.
Thank you Dad. I miss you and that part of America so much.
