The Land of the Free...

With maturity, comes wisdom. For someone who when young was nicknamed, "La Broncuda," which means something like problematic or challenging, and ready for a fight, I amaze myself when I seek for reconciliation. In maturity, I have found the strength to be humble, to seek to understand, to forgive, to tolerate, to love, to respect all people.

One thing I do not like are debates. Although a woman of strong beliefs, who states what she believes in, I do not debate over religion, sport teams, or political affiliation. Therefore, this blog may seem most unusual for the woman I am now. But I promise you that I seek to unite and pacify by educating those who may read it.

I admit I was surprised by the backlash a republican candidate for the US presidency, who will remain unnamed, faced after his first speech declaring his candidacy. Granted, I believe he spoke without thinking, and ad lib speeches always tend to offend someone. But, I did not think it deserved the importance it was given. I am an American by choice and Naturalization, but I am Mexican by birth, by culture, and hope I am one of those Mexicans he considered to be among, those "few good people."

I am not surprised though by what has transpired since. I am not one bit surprised of how his speeches have become more inflammatory. How more and more people among the unemployed, lower class, and angry groups have rallied around him. How many more think this is a joke and something that does not concern them.

I am a woman of learning. I study many things every day to seek for enlightenment and comprehension. One of those topics is history. I've read and studied history my whole life, and history has taught me a lot. George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Seeking to prevent this from happening, I choose today to teach a little history. In the early 1930s, Germany was deep in economic depression, where millions were unemployed, licking still the fresh wounds of their humiliating defeat by the Allied forces during World War I, they were easy prey to a powerful and spellbinding speaker as Adolph Hitler.

Many Germans thought also he was somewhat of a joke. But in 1932, he surprised many by being elected the German Chancellor. His autocratic tyranny brought despair and misery for many years around the world and cost more than 11 million lives, among jews and non-jews.

Martin Niemoller, a protestant pastor, who later became a voice against the Nazi regime and paid for it by spending years in concentration camps, penned the following words as an explanation of why so many stood by and did nothing to stop him at first. They read as follows: " First they came for the socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist...then, they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me."

Being as I am, one of those who under the regime of this present candidate could be among the first to be rounded up and expelled from a country I love and consider mine, I raise my voice now, when I can, to say BE CAREFUL! And, see him for who he really is.

The Scriptures teach, "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another." 3 Nephi 11:29

Just as Hitler, another angry man, used the frustrations of millions who were poor, disenchanted, humiliated and unhappy to set them against the jews, and made them believe they were responsible for their unhappiness, so this candidate will make you believe I and many like me are the culprits of this beautiful country's real problems.

I you think you are safe because you are not Mexican, remember the words of Niemoller. First, they came for the socialists, then the trade unionists, later for the jews, until the day he was next and there was no one tleft to defend him. That could be you one day.

This country will be free when we as citizens become responsible for what we do. Robert Heinlein said it best, "I am free because I know that I am morally responsible for everything I do..." Until we become so, let us not point fingers at each other.