Letter to the Editor

Racial discrimination more than just a 21st Century problem

Letter to the editor:

     I am of Irish decent. My people were not welcomed in the United States late in the 19th century and into the 20th century. My people were accused of taking jobs from those, who by birthright were, U.S. citizens. Of course much of the employment opportunities that were offered were jobs that others felt were beneath them. My people were even looked at as no more than an animal. We were looked at with distaste; as something less; and not to be trusted.

     Most of the Irish immigrants were poor. Very poor. What they found along with the discrimination, the poverty and the lack of jobs made them realize that the streets in America were not paved in gold as they had been told. However, they did find something sacred here. It was the gift of hope they had lost in their home country.

     I would like to think that my ancestors all came to the United States legally and with proper paperwork.  But the truth is that I come from a rough family of Irish people and I simply don’t know that my people came in through Ellis Island or circumvented Ellis Island with a lifeboat stolen from the ship that brought them here; then docking at a pier in a shipyard where they hoped to work one day.

     Many people have come to America illegally, and while I can’t condone that, I understand why.

     Many years ago I remember looking at a picture of a beautiful three-year-old girl. She was standing in the doorway of her home, which was a shanty with a dirt floor and a piece of fabric for the only door. I know in my heart that if she had been my daughter, I would have done anything to give her an opportunity to live a better life, no matter how I had to make it happen. That little girl is now a very successful citizen of the United States of America.

     The sad reality is that there has always been unhappy and unfulfilled people who want to put others down rather than to help lift them up. Somehow it satisfies their own yearning to explain their own life. One cannot be successful or bring goodness to the world by attacking people who have less but are doing their best.

     The Irish were called lazy, drunkards, free loaders, beggars, dishonest and everything else negative they could be labeled. And for many many an Irishman, the labels fit. People don’t categorize the Irish so much anymore. There is new blood to put down. America has not changed much.

     The good news is each individual can look for and find a way to quietly lift someone or some family up. We can have a real impact on that greatest gift of hope by allowing our inner love and peace to show to others. The joy of doing something good on your own always feels better than the act of affixing blame or pushing someone down so you can feel superior.

     What can you do to help someone you may know only very little or not at all?

     How can we take a small but active part in their success story?

     The answer is simple. “Anything. Just do something good.”

     Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

     Thank God my ancestors came to this country. We would be a different country today without the likes of John Kennedy, Walt Disney, John Wayne, Joe Biden, Henry Ford, Ronald Reagan and many more.

     We have also been lifted up by the talents of Col. Manuel J. Fernandez who few 125 combat missions in the Korean War; Ellen Ochoa, whose first of four shuttle missions was in 1991; Luiz Walter Alvarez, 1968, for discoveries about subatomic particles. Later, he and his son proposed the now-accepted theory that the mass dinosaur extinction was caused by a meteor impact. And how about Geraldo Rivera; Joan Baezand more?

     There is a darkness in us all that can pull us down no matter how rich or poor we might be. There is a darkness within us that can bring misunderstanding, hate and prejudice to the surface. The attitude of , “I am better than them!” The truth is God loves us all equally.

     There is also a light within each of us that can overcome that darkness and cause us to look for little ways we can bring light to others refreshing their hope that what they are doing will make a difference in the lives of their children and grandchildren. I believe that has always been the real focus of every family who ever came to America. The next generation was the gold; the next generation was the greatest hope. The gift of hope is passed from one person to another and then to another. It is a gift that calls for so little but has the power to last forever.

     I do not have the answer for the huge challenges of today. I only know that small gestures of kindness bring us all closer together. I believe small acts of kindness will lift people above the criticism, the hate and the discrimination. And I believe that by the power of Almighty God – someday we shall all be one.

     Be assured, however, that in the future there will always be chances to put a new group of people down rather than to lift them up. The pecking order has always been a part of society. I just hope we can use our power of choice wisely. We can choose to love rather than hate; we can show kindness rather than disregard. We cannot be a Christian if we have hate in our hearts Love does and will conquer all.

    Pastor John Byrne

     First Congregational UCC

     Hampton