The movie was based on the discussion of probable cause but in this area, seeming like all they really wanted was to kick out all of the Hispanic population from that area. This concept of wanting to kick out a certain population, it seems so hateful. I found this thought of hating a people group so much as to want to kick them out very disturbing. I compared this thought process to all of the experiences I have had in a foreign country. Never once have I felt as though they wanted to kick me out of their country. The people welcomed me with open arms and loved getting to know me. The only stereotype that came with me being American was that I am rich. However, this didn't hinder the relationships I had in Mexico, Spain, Morocco, the Dominican Republic, or Venezuela. This made me question a lot about different cultures and how much more loving other cultures seem to be on certain topics.
The last thing that I will mention, even though there were many more claims I disagreed with, is when they started talking about the civil war. The claim was made that the Hispanic population should be kicked out and then they connected it somehow with the civil war and slaves. He started saying that we then learned better and that's why they had the civil war or something along those lines. For me, this DIRECTLY connected to the issue of which he was so supportive. People are being very racist and judgmental, just like in the time of slavery. Now, in present time, we don't have people as slaves obviously. But, we were then and are now repressing a people group. This is also an example of how throughout the movie, they twisted the facts to say what they wanted to say.
While this movie was very disturbing, I did find that I learned a lot about the border and the racism still happening in many places. I can only hope that there is an end in sight to this undeserved judgment.
First, I would like to correct your statement when you say that the United States has "no official language"... this is incorrect. If we are going by "majority rules" language, according to the CIA World fact book, 82.1% of Americans speak English, therefore since democratic-majority tradition rules in this country English is the official language.
ReplyDeleteSecond, in regards to your comments about the civil war and slavery, I can understand where this man came from when he gave an interview. Being a very religious person, I can understand his suggestion that wars and racism exist for the spiritual advancement of people. It almost appears as if this institutions continue to exist so others can spiritually grow. Grant it that there are tragedies that come along with this, I feel that after the dust settles we come out of all events stronger and more grounded in God. If we look towards WWII, the Civil Rights movements, 9/11, etc., we find we are more unified. I think this unity is a beautiful thing.
While I do agree that most people that live in America speak English, there is also a large portion of those that don't as well as those who know multiple languages. What I meant by "official language" was that the country has not declared a language. Every other country in the world has a declared language, and some have two. However, the United States has not declared an official language at the federal level.
ReplyDeleteI was quite confused by the discussion of slavery and the Civil War as necessary for spiritual development. I can agree with Zachary that the struggle to overcome injustice does unify people and lead to improvement (the notion that evil exists in the world is often tempered in theology by saying that growth and true morality can only exist if sin does, too - though I take issue with this notion at times), BUT I don't think the positive outcomes of such struggles in any way validate the injustices that caused them. If Greg Letiecq thought that struggle was the will of God, it still doesn't mean he should be advocating a situation that promotes injustice that needs to be struggled against. In my mind that's akin to saying that the Civil Rights movement was transformative and needed while advocating racial segregation at the same time. It just doesn't make sense and acts in direct opposition to any positive spiritual and social growth happening.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKrista, the fact that citizens in Prince William County looked at speaking Spanish as un-American was also very hard for me to grasp. I was exposed to Spanish throughout my childhood as we had mini-classes all throughout elementary school. So even though I never became fluent, I at least knew simple expressions and a few verb tenses of common words, and therefore didn't view Spanish as "foreign." I believe that looking at English as the official language of the United States is like look at Christianity as the official religion. Because neither is official, it leaves room for all different types of people to settle in the U.S. and feel like they can practice personal aspects of their individual cultures.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite frankly horrified by religious traditions that try to depict suffering in a positive light. I know that Christians tend to have what might be called a "martyr complex," which sometimes causes us to view suffering as something of a bragging right.
ReplyDeleteHowever, try going to an oppressed people group and sharing with them the gospel of additional suffering. This is not good news, it's masochism.
Letiecq's comments about slavery are horrifying, but they aren't necessarily uncommon. It's the logical conclusion of a sort of theodicy that suggests that the suffering of people groups is really just God trying to "teach something" to the white, privileged people who must then go out and serve them. It perhaps gives rich folks a reason to be compassionate, but it's not anywhere near empowering or liberating for those who have been socially humiliated.
Krista, you bring up three good topics--language, hospitality, and an indirect critique of Greg Letiec's statement that God ordains our leaders and that everything that happens in history is part of his plan (you don't actually identify the "he" in the paragraph about the Civil War, but I think Greg's comment was the origin of that discussion about slavery). On this latter point, the parallel between slavery and the economic use of illegal immigrants in this country isn't that far off--those who come to America illegally are poor, uneducated, and unskilled and our country, for most of the last century, has been providing low paid seasonal work to such people--but it is much more than they would be paid in their own country. Now add to that meat packing and processing industries, factories, etc. Skilled workers can gain immigration status, but unskilled workers can't. So, in fact, this increasing stream of "illegals" come here because the system allows them to be exploited, and because their own country allocates no resources to help them earn a living at home. Once here, these illegal immigrants can educate their own children, send money home, and find a path to a better life. This is what seems to objectionable to those who can only see the "illegal" label and refuse to see the systemic problems that are driving immigration, and the human needs of people who are choosing this route to make a better life for their children. Complicated stuff.
ReplyDelete