Thankfully, through my work, I find things that inspire me or remind me just how fortunate my family is and it is my friends and in many cases the people of East County that keep me in check as I go from assignment to assignment.
Thankfully, through my work, I find things that inspire me or remind me just how fortunate my family is and it is my friends and in many cases the people of East County that keep me in check as I go from assignment to assignment.
Tuesday’s march in El Cajon to bring awareness and a plea for help for Christians in Iraq was one of those moments. I love it when I see people rise together for a cause, especially when it is for the innocents of the world. What is happening to Christians in Iraq is nothing short of genocide. This is nothing new in world history, and many times America turns a blind eye towards the atrocities of the world. It is normally not the people of America, but rather its leaders. I do not have an answer to solve the problems in Iraq, but I am thankful for the East County community that is fighting to find a safe haven for these innocents and bring awareness from our neighborhoods to the world that something needs to be done.
Though I am adamant about getting involved in another war, we need to find a way to help the innocents that are dying or suffering every day. So, if you are a humanitarian and believe that injustice cannot prevail, then support the local leaders that are trying to make a difference. This can be accomplished in many ways, and the voice of one in a common cause becomes a roar of many when it is combined with others. And the neighbors in our community that understand the tribulations of the innocent people in the Middle East first hand should not have to fight this battle alone.
In my dealings with people in East County, I am happy to say that most that I speak to support our Middle Eastern community. However, in some cases, some do not.
Growing up in the South and living through the riots during the forced integration of schools, there is one thing that I have absolutely no tolerance for, and that is bigotry. It might not always come out in harsh words, but it comes out in actions and inactions.
If possible, I will speak up when I am able when confronted with bigotry, but in some cases, the best thing I can do is to ignore the comments that I hear and not feed the fodder of racism.
Many times, it comes in small ways, like the people that call El Cajon “Little Baghdad” to those who lump the sum of our refugee Americans as sucking the life out of the welfare program.
I love the diversity of East County and met and made friends with many in our community that came here as refugees. They are not “wolves in sheep's clothing” that are here to destroy our way of living and to drain our system. The majority of these men, women and young people that I have come to know are successful business people, powerful local leaders and an asset to the community and they should be treated and respected as such. They are not all liquor storeowners, and by far, they are not all hiding under the guise of Christianity to infiltrate our country with the extreme Muslim sects that threaten the peace of the Middle East and America.
It is curious to study the nature of Americans when it comes to immigration and give many examples of the apathy of our people when it comes to accepting people that are just looking for a better way of life. But I am happy to say that most of the people that I deal with are full supporters when it comes to human rights issues.
And, it would be remiss of me to not give credit to the city of El Cajon and its law enforcement that allowed the many hundreds of peaceful protesters that walked the streets of El Cajon during rush hour. It is actions like this that show that the leaders of El Cajon are beginning to support and encourage its diverse community.
