>>Valley Patriot>>

(02/06/07)
Remembering Who We Are
Methuen Councilor Kathleen Corey Rahme

As a student of government and constitutional law, and as an American, I fully appreciate the Bill of Rights and especially the First Amendment. Free speech is a cherished attribute of American society. It defines our nation. Recently, I have had cause to visit how free speech can be taken to a level that was probably not the intention of our founding fathers and the framers.

Since the beginning of time, human nature has displayed the need for someone or something to vilify. Throughout history, various groups have met the criterion deserving of hatred. It seems as though various groups have taken their turn as the group to be hated or discriminated against. The Irish, Russians, Cubans, and Iranians have all had their turn in recent history.

People like the Japanese, who attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 and set off America’s involvement in WWII, were targeted in the Pacific Theater as well as in this country. Japanese Americans were interned in camps to protect us from future attacks and it was all in the name of national security. Some of those Japanese who were interned were people who were of the third generation in this country. They suffered the loss of their homes and businesses. Some even suffered death when we attempted to make our land and people feel safer. But, we were at war after all, and it was for the greater good.

A little known fact and often under celebrated is the 442nd Regiment during WWII. They were made up of Americans of Japanese decent and it was the most decorated regiment during WWII. They fought in Europe and their valor was extraordinary. They received the Presidential Unit Citation and numerous medals for their service.

Of course the Germans were also vilified because of WWII. I enjoyed watching several black and white combat movies as a youngster. Many of our military veterans of WWII were of German descent. I remember hearing from one veteran who was guarding German POW’s. They were allowed to attend a church service and while they were reciting the Lord’s Prayer, this American who knew the prayer in German, also recited it with the Germans. All who witnessed it were amazed. Yet, parishioners of his own church in Lawrence opted to rename their church by removing the word “German” from its name.

I grew up during the Cold War and I have many recollections of fearing the Russians. I remember during my first week as a student in Halifax, Nova Scotia being afraid because there was Russia container ship in the harbor. During the Cold War in this country anything Russian was suspect. They were not Cold War warriors. They were sailors.

Now, since September 11, our citizenry is on constant alert. Our country has taken on a new villain. Unfortunately, the terrorists were of Middle Eastern descent and happen to have been Muslim. Many people who have a Middle Eastern heritage and have accents have been under great scrutiny since the attacks of 9-11. I remember being with a friend of mine at a local pizzeria on September 11 ordering lunch. A patron entered the shop and asked the man behind the counter who had an Armenian accent where he was from. The man answered appropriately that he was an American.

The city of Methuen is home to people of many ethnicities. There are people from all over the world. We are living in a microcosm of the United States and we are a melting pot. There is a large group of Muslims from Turkey residing here in Methuen. They are great contributors not only to our city but to this country. They have many businesses and professional establishments here. They are hard working.  They have families who have chosen to relocate here and become American. They are faith-filled.

There is an ever increasing trend in the media, in print as well as on the television and radio, to make remarks about people from the Middle East. References about being in the mosque and plotting attacks are very common. This population has taken on the role of arch villain shared by other ethnic groups in the past.

Comments have been made to and about Congressman Keith Ellison, D-MN about his loyalty to this country. He is an American who happens to practice Islam. Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama’s own Muslim roots have been under scrutiny and deemed as a negative by some. Do we forget the very roots by which this country was founded and the desire for religious freedoms and freedom from persecution?

There is a movement in this country to consider anyone who is from the region to be suspect. Why do we need to do this? Sure the participants of the attacks and mass murder of 9-11 were Middle Easterners and Muslim, but not all Middle Easterners and Muslims are terrorists. Some children were asked the question in school that if an attack was made to the USA and it was determined to have been committed by a Middle Easterner in this country, should we intern people of Middle Eastern descent? An overwhelming majority of students agreed that it would be a good thing. What does this mentality accomplish? Fear provokes many things.

We cannot allow history to repeat itself. If we do not remember what we did to the Japanese Americans during WWII, we just might make the same mistakes now. If we choose to vilify and subjugate members of certain ethnic groups and allow fear to create false security by treating groups harshly, we stand to lose. We will sacrifice our own humanity and everything we hold to be near and dear. We should not use free speech to take away the freedom of others. If we do, we will erode the very fabric of this beautiful country and chip away the great freedoms that this country enjoys.
 
Kathleen Corey Rahme is the former Central District Councilor in Methuen and was elected as a city councilor “at large” last year. She is also the founder of the Methuen Youth Corps and hosts “Call to Serve.” You can email her at kcoreyrahme@comcast.net

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The February 2007 Edition of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly Publication.
All Contents (C) 2007, Valley Patriot, Inc.
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