Quote:My father as child was forced to drink from colored fountains, go to colored schools, go to colored bathrooms, ride the back of the bus, ETC ETC. He could not go to movies that said "Whites Only", take a [BAD WORD REMOVED] in "White bathrooms". This was less than 60 years ago. 

 

My Grandfather was beaten within inches of his life, his families generational farm stolen from them, had to flee his home country because of his ethnicity and religious affiliation. He lost 6 Brothers to militias and 2 sisters before they made it out of Columbia. My other grandfather was denied work, housing and access to public utilities in Ontario again due to his religious affiliation. One doctor told him to switch churches or fail his physical allowing them to work the mines, the excuse they used was his stomach couldn't handle the fumes of the mine, so he had them put a metal plate in his abdomen and went to work.

 

Once either side came to America they faced all kinds of hardships. My non-English speaking Spanish migrant Grandfather saved for 13 years to make the trip (legally) with my mother her sister and his wife. Sure they faced typical stereotyping, some prejudice hell my Mother at age 15 carried a dictionary through High School as she taught herself English (there was translator in the 70's for her schooling). The other side came poor Irish-Canadian immigrants again my Father's side saved for 7 years to make the move down here so my Grandfather and Grandmother could take a factory line job. My Grandmother was spat on, her car vandalized, their home vandalized, and physically assaulted three times since they both crossed the picket line, immigrants couldn't afford to miss a shift at the factory because the union wanted to strike.

 

You think the discrimination was bad here in the 60's? Try being a protestant in a catholic owned country in the 60's that level of discrimination meant you stood a great chance of facing a firing squad. 

 

You see the problem is when you focus on what the past owes you, you'll never see what the future can be. I'm sure your family saw some horrible stuff, but don't let it define you and how you view the world. I don't walk around thinking Catholics are my enemy loathing the very thought of them, I don't walk around expecting payment of acknowledgement for past sins against my family. We are entitled to nothing, not even a fair life or a fair chance at a good life, we become what we earn in the end.

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