the collision of patriotism and xenophobia

becomes an American and assimilates himself to us,
he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else,
or birthplace, or origin.
and nothing but an American…
There can be no divided allegiance here.
isn’t an American at all.
We have room for but one flag, the American flag…

Theodore Roosevelt



and in the end,

as in going through the proper steps and stages.
Remember Ellis Island–

often a covert process at best…
clandestine, and even sinister, at worst…

the flow….

Yet, in time, as the world shifted,
No longer could the flow be absorbed…
Financial affordability and responsibility was maxed…
The original intent was no longer the same…
English was not wanting to be learned.
Assimilation became a bad word.
It was a flow wanting perks without dues…

New words crept into our vocabulary….
Drug lords
Border control
Islamic extremists
Al Qaeda,

Tunnels were dug…
As planes flew into buildings…
all with a grave purpose….
And we were learning that things had to change…
there had to be new safety steps put in place….

They preferred to rally….
vehemently angry while trying to counter any means possible to corral
and bring some semblance of order to a broken process.

They march while holding signs.
They quit work to protest.
inorder to make it all work…

And so those who say such words as…

are taunted, jeered, cursed and ignored…

Time and resources are passing away…
making it all too late to make things right….

now replace what once was…
and National honor…
rendering a once strong nation….neutered.

Ronald Reagan

20 comments on “the collision of patriotism and xenophobia

  1. says:

    The quote is perfect for this. Thanks, Ronnie.

  2. Nobody says it better than you! 🙂 ❤

  3. Citizen Tom says:

    Reblogged this on Citizen Tom and commented:
    Since this has been the topic on my blog here of late, and Julie (aka Cookie) puts the case so well…..

  4. oneta hayes says:

    Thank you, Cookie, for this courageous post. My husband is an immigrant who paid the price in money and time to be a US citizen – the way it used to be. He was first turned down because he didn’t have enough money, so he worked longer to make more money. His goal was America and to be an American.

    • Thank you Oneta—it’s folks like your husband who has been the key to making us the Nation that we are…a great Nation—by his sheer determination and perseverance…what is taking place now, only lessens his hard work…
      My great great grandparents, my mother’s grandparents came through Ellis I have seen what hard work and determination each have wrought …thank you for sharing

      • oneta hayes says:

        Yes, he has even less tolerance for the slackness in our immigration policies, as you can imagine.

      • I am sure as he knows how hard he’s worked to be where he is and what he had to do for his family– the right way–
        It is to men like your husband and countless others who did things not the easy way but the hard , arduous and right way to whom we can say who has made us who we are as a nation– hugs to you both!

  5. SLIMJIM says:

    I’m a minority and a son of both parents who are immigrants. I worry that some people think illegal immigrants is the same things as…immigrants in of itself. I’m also surprised that there’s a political spectrum that thinks that if one side is concern for security that means beyond a shadow of a doubt that means those people are racists.
    All that is to say: Good post.

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