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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Elitist bastards
  • Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:28:54 EDT


> >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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