America is unique in all of the world. It is unique in the history of all humanity.
Our Founding Fathers considered our Constitution and the government it portrayed to be a great experiment. These men were concerned about America’s longevity and its ability to withstand the winds of change, particularly the ebb and flow of the ideas of its citizens.
My father was born in 1890 — 133 years ago, but only about 100 years after the founding of our country. He thought differently than we do today. For him things seemed to be less complicated, less immediate, less confusing. Things felt more direct, with easy answers to complex questions.
I mean, in his time, fast communication was a stamp on an envelope with a response in a week or two. Phone lines for the working man were between non-existent and non-private party lines. When people were fortunate enough to graduate from high school, they were educated. Attending college was difficult for the working man.
My father died at age 92 in 1982, just six years after Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. My father never so much as put his hands on a computer, or saw the advent of cellphones, let alone smartphones. He never saw news reporting as it happens, day trading, online catalog buying or digital printing.
Looking back, it would seem easier for my father to give me advice than for me to give advice to my children. Things were more black and white in his time on earth.
Yet, my father taught me lessons that were universal, as true when the country was founded, as they were during my father’s lifetime, as they are today.
My father taught me that if it hurts someone, don’t do it. If it infringes on someone’s rights, don’t support it. And, respect and honor others for who they are, not who you want them to be.
These three statements seem simple on the surface, but are difficult to live by. Our prejudices run deep.
My father taught me that religious freedom does not mean that you have freedom to tell someone else what to believe or how to act. Rather, religious freedom meant to him that you and others all have the same right to believe and act as you see fit.
If you think about it, his ideas were quite practical. They cover a lot of territory — not hurting someone, not infringing on the rights of others, looking upon others with respect and honor. His philosophy covers the ethical and honest behavior touted by the Pentateuch, all of the Old and New Testaments, the Quran and more.
Of course, while the founders made waves with their Declaration of Independence and Constitution, they did not address slavery, indentured servants, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, discrimination, criminalization of those committing victimless crimes, marijuana usage, and a long list of other controversial and still unsolved issues.
They left all of that up to future generations. Likely, our founders had, or would have had, ideas about all of these issues, but left them unresolved in favor of getting something done other than arguing with (or shooting) each other.
Today, we have legislated against some of our prior behaviors and attitudes. However, we still hold old prejudices and persist in hurting others while infringing on their rights.
America is not the glorious place we all believe it to be. It is like each of us in its frailties, bad decisions and tendencies to sacrifice the weak, the minority and the different.
Remember the people rounded up by the German Nazis during WWII. Millions of these folks were killed – men, women and children. All had every possession for which they had worked stripped away from them. It did not matter whether they were Jewish or Christian, German, French, Polish or whatever. It did not matter if they were workers or college professors or doctors. They were nothing, because the Nazis were in charge. Even the difference between blue eyes and brown or black eyes could spell death.
Then came the defeat of the Nazis and the end of WWII. You would think with the moral right on the side of America, Britain and other Allies that the defeat of the Nazis would have brought solace and justice to those remaining alive in the concentration camps.
Think again.
These people attempted to assimilate back to their homelands. Others attempted to travel to Palestine. America, Britain and the Allies would have nothing to do with it.
A number of these former concentration camp victims were not permitted — by force — to assimilate and were held in new settlement camps that were likened to concentration camps without the mass killing. The camps were run by the British with America’s approval. People were incarcerated for years.
We tend to forget these shameful acts of our country, much as some of our citizens persist in supporting exclusionary policies, hateful rhetoric, and despicable acts against those weaker than you and me.
Perhaps it is time we take stock of the things we say and do, how they impact on others, and whether we live up to the goodness and love taught by our own religious beliefs.
I would like for my father to be able to rest in peace.
Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, Shippensburg University Trustee, and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. The firm provides enterprise-levelcloud-software forcommunicating, specifying, approving, procuring, producing, reporting and activities necessary to obtaining direct mail, packaging, promo, marketing and all other printing. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at[email protected]
