November 11, 2010

My mother passed away on November 11, 1996.  The fact that she died on Veterans' Day always seemed , to me, somewhat fitting.  My mother loved this country with every bone in her body.   During VietNam, when I would rant, she would listen, but say very little.  Years later, when she would concede that I may have had points to make during that conflict, she would always end the conversation with,'Yes, this country has problems, but there is no better country on the face of this planet, and you need to always remember that.'  The anniversary of a person's death is, in the Jewish tradition, a time for remembering them with a Yahrtzeit .  As I am not near a synagogue (if that's not the understatement of the year), I content myself with lighting a candle and remembering her.

Then, this afternoon I drove into Kayenta with the intention of picking up the supplies required to winterize my truck--antifreeze, oil, filters, etc.  I found the automobile parts store  to be closed for the Veterans' Day holiday. Now, Veterans' Day is observed back east with parades and color ceremonies, but  I would be hard put to think of a privately owned business that closes down on November 11.   I realized, and not for the first time since coming out here, how deeply patriotic the Navajo people are.  These  people, have stepped forward to defend this country in every armed insurrection since World War II. It's not that they don't recognize the faults that are present in our society.  They  will tell me to remove the feather decoration from my rear view mirror before I leave the Nation, because I may get harrassed by ignorant people who pass me and assume, from the decoration, that I am Navajo.  And yet, even given those sorts of issues,  these people, overwhelmingly,   love this country and honor it every chance they get.

It has brought to mind the current tendency of some people to determine who is and who is not a loyal American. There has been a lot of talk about  which political party, which religion, which race a person must be in order to be considered to be  a 'true' American. And, the point I want to make is that sort of thinking is just 'messed up' as my students say.    The Japanese Americans fought with honor during World War II.  The Navajo , as well as other Native Americans, have given their lives so that the rest of us can continue to live free. My family is chock full of men and women who have served this country, in the military and through their non-military service, and believe me, no one in my family--NO ONE-- fits any pre-determined mold anyone ever conceived.  Each and every one of us is a one and only.  But, each one is and was a patriotic and loyal American.  Americans come from all religions, all races, and we all have differing world views.  That's what makes this , as my Mom pointed out, the greatest country on the face of this planet.

In closing, Thank you to all people who have served this country, and Mother, I miss you.