[Homestead] Elitist bastards

Clansgian at wmconnect.com Clansgian at wmconnect.com
Sat Oct 11 11:28:54 EDT 2008


> >Natives are there by accident of birth. I am there for sound, chosen  
> reasons that led to purposeful actions.
> 
> >No luck involved.
> 

While I am quite of the mind 'American by birth and Southern by the grace of 
God', this is what I think about hte chosen vs accident of birth:

The French teacher of a private school where I taught in my misspent youth 
was Greek and someone I quite admired.  She had become an American citizen late 
in life and still spoke with an outrageous Greek accent.  She could affect any 
accent credibly, but chose not to be pretentious.  

Many times during discussions, Kyria Bishara ('Kyria' is 'Mrs.' as in 'kyrie 
eleison') would say, "Well, you all were born Americans by accident, but I am 
an American by choice."

This was my response to that.  My ancestors came to this region more than 250 
years ago and clawed out an existence from a mountainous wildreness so 
ghastly that the Indians wouldn't even live here.  They fought for and died for a 
system of government reflected in the Watauga Compact, the State of Franklin, 
and when they were threatened they mounted the assault on King's Mountain and 
turned the tide of the war.  They fought (and lost) for indepndence from the 
Northern aggressor.  They cleared the land you see around here lugging out stones 
from the field with their bare hands.  Etc. etc.

And they did that for me .... not you.   So you are a johnny-come-lately 
interloper and party crasher.  This land and this culture (and in her case, this 
govenment) was won and preserved with lives and blood for the people's 
children, descendents, seed, breed, and generation.  

It's a very easy thing to walk down a street sniffing the air and choose the 
house whose aroma most appeals to you rather than cook your own meals.  Will 
you then tell the family's children, "Well, you are eating here because of an 
accident of birth, but *I* on the other hand have chosen to eat here." ??

You are welcome to be here, but conduct yourself seemly like the lately 
arrived guest that you are.

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