Posted by
John Finnigan on Sunday, March 29, 2009 2:14:05 PM
Racism-The white man’s burden.
Thank goodness I’m not responsible for the sins of my
ancestors.
During the Revolutionary war, my European ancestors married my
Native American ancestors-probably at gunpoint-and fought with the English
Crown against the rebels. They lost that war, and fought again for the English
Crown in the war of 1812, loosing both conflicts.
To escape the wrath of the United
States, my mixed blood ancestors fled to the frontier,
now Indiana Illinois and Wisconsin,
and displaced some of the native populations there. The native populations in
these frontier areas called my relatives, the intruders, white men. However, my
relatives thought of themselves as Delaware Indians.
Is it ok for differing Native American cultures to war
against each other, commit atrocities and genocide, and still have it be al
right?
So, whose sin am I responsible for?
Am I responsible for my European relatives intermarrying with
my Delaware Native relatives and keeping them alive?
Am I responsible for my mixed European and Native American
relatives fighting against the United
States in two wars? Or, am I the victim of
the English Crown not being strong enough to vanquish the rebels?
I have genetic and genealogical roots in many different
cultures, countries and races. Yet, my skin is what most people call white and
my eyes are blue.
Am I responsible for the Sins of African Slavery? One of my
great, great grandfathers died fighting in the union army against the south.
Another also fought in the union army and was severely disabled, living out his
life in pain-all for the emancipation of Slaves.
Is this sacrifice enough or need there be more compensation?
I did not pick my relatives, but I did get their genes and
have learned something about their history and sacrifice.
Some of my relatives arrived here long before the
revolutionary war. They displaced native populations and some mixed with the
native populations. They fought in the revolutionary war-most on the loosing
side-and in the war of 1812. After that they fled for their lives.
Later, more of my European cousins came over and fought in
the civil war, this time on the winning side-and gave their lives and limbs for
freedom.
My uncle jumped from an airplane on D-day in world war two. My
father was a career cold warrior and served in occupied Germany.
My skin is what most people call white. My eyes are blue.
Yet I am a genetic mutt.
So whose sins am I responsible for? I have many genetic
links to many different people who have many grievances against each other.I have come to the conclusion that I am only responsible for
my sins.
I’m glad that I’m a mutt. I’m also a proud American.
The only people who are responsible for the sins committed against
me are those who committed them. For those folks I ask God to forgive them.