LoVe tHY NeiGhBoR

How is it possible to love a culture, celebrate it, take days off from work during it, dress yourselves and your children up in the flamboyant colors of it, as well as gorge yourself on the culinary delights from these but in the next breath, loath and refuse to support the people that gave birth to this culture?

Apparently not only is it possible but it's also acceptable. Really?

My short answer is the people that do this are not much different than a pimp. My wife cringed at the idea of me using that word in this piece but c'mon! That's almost exactly what this is and I believe the comparison will bear out.

Firstly, a "pimp" at its core is someone that takes advantage of another person with the intent of profiting from that person with no regard for that person's well being. A more informal definition is one who persistently self promotes or makes something more extravagant to draw attention to itself to appear impressive. Honestly, they both apply and despite the common perception in urban communities, this is nothing to be proud of or to strive after.

I was reminded of this during the much celebrated Cinco de Mayo. When asked what I had planned for the weekend and I responded "nothing", I was treated with multiple lectures on why I I needed to have a drink to celebrate this auspicious occasion. These lectures came with 1/4 vitriol, 1/2 disdain, and 1/2 contempt. Ever since I was a little fella, I loved to ask questions. Guess not much has changed because my question was "Do you know what you are celebrating?" This isn't like my loaded questions about holidays such as Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, and Halloween for example. People of Mexican heritage who are in touch with their history have much to celebrate to commemorate that day. My question was for those unconnected to that who wanted to inform me of why I should be having a drink. Almost everyone to a man was unable to answer my simple question. My goal isn't to enlighten you about May 5th and what it means or should mean to you. I'm baffled as are many as to how so many of us are easily able to celebrate days like these where we invite these cultures into our lives and are so easily able to forsake and even denigrate the people who brought these brilliant and colorful cultures to life. It's become natural. Easy. And deplorable.

Look around you, guys. The hate flowing towards the Mexican people (just one example) is off the charts as of late and the political climate only cause the already present flames to blaze into an inferno. Add the African-American and Middle-Eastern people to the mix and you have a polarizing and inflammatory situation. History has shown that American culture as we now know it has been shaped by the Native Americans, Latin Americans, Asian Americans, and African Americans just to name a few. Just speaking from a cultural standpoint, how enticing does that culture sound without any of the flavors and textures and colors that the aforementioned cultures provide? Let's get real. It might be kind of bland. We have such a rich culture because of all these people who birthed all this richness and inventiveness and flavor. There is no doubt at all here. We are what makes America great! The people that say certain cultures and peoples are not needed have likely already benefited from the stripping of said people's cultures and enjoy the benefits of said stripping or they're related to someone who has. Have you ever sat down and talked to anyone whose culture, land, and inheritance was stripped from them by force? You should try it. Very enlightening.

It is a blatant disrespect, in my humble opinion, to prostitute (in some cases) and capitalize financially off of cultures that you don't add to or have taken no part in birthing and have the audacity to go out of your way to disgrace or hate on the people from which that culture comes. It almost feels like a crime is being committed but only the victims seem to notice it. Maybe it's because they are weak, have lesser means, or their voice is not significant enough to be heard in today's societal makeup. It just feels wrong and it most definitely looks wrong too.

Fact: Did you know that most of the opposers of people of other cultures crossing into our borders are descendants of people who did exactly that generations ago? The hypocrisy is thick.

What is your honest first feeling when you hear someone of a different culture being disrespected in the media, on social network, or perhaps even live and in person? To note that we are an entitled generation is understated in this blog but we, even myself, are beneficiaries of many different cultural experiences. I am a combination of American, African, Native American, Bajan, and Panamanian that I am aware of so far. I have grown up in the melting pot of New York City where I have eaten foods from more cultures and countries than I can remember. I was literally raised with a healthy respect and admiration for immigrants and for people of different nationalities, from Latin Americans to Irish-Americans to Russian-Americans to Lithuanian-Americans. I sat in their homes, talked to the patriarchs of their households, chilled out in their restaurants, and were friends with their children. I don't know what they thought of me personally but I thank the good Lord for my upbringing in the Big Apple. It has changed and enhanced my life and changed my life and the way I raised my kids and grand kids. Knowing the history of a culture doesn't hurt but loving the people as fellow humans is just...well...human.

Raise your hand if you would be cool with someone coming over to your house that you own, sit at your table and eat the food you bought and prepared with your own hands, they clear their plate and even have seconds and thirds, and then proceed to curse the ground you walk on and demand that you get out of their country immediately. Take your time. I'll wait....

Fact of the matter is we are living in a virtual and literal melting pot. Each individual and cultural "ingredient" makes the stew awesome! In essence and at its core, we are neighbors. The golden rule commands us to "love our neighbors like we love ourselves." So.....we must really hate ourselves then huh?

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40 KJV)