Where Did She Go?

For John, BLUF:  We three Brothers challenge each other as to where we stand on political, social and religious issues.  The ultimate appeal is to "What would your Mother think? Nothing to see here; just move along.

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My Middle Brother asked, in an EMail:

Is it Quintessential American?

For a company to remove the Native American and keep the Land

My reponsse was:

I wouldn’t say Quintessential, but then it is a word I can’t spell.

But, it is humorous, in a macabre sort of way.

I am sorry to see this march through the products, changing logos and labels and names.  On the other hand, if we come out the other end a little more open to our Brothers and Sisters in creation, then it might have been worth it.  If, however, we come out the other end even less tolerant, then it will have been a mistake.

When the three of us were young we lived in a small town in South New Jersey, down near the Pine Barrens.  The Town, or Borough, I later learned, was a "Sundown Town".  The Town, with about 2,800 people, wasn't very hospitable to Roman Catholics. There were six Catholic families in town and they all lived in the Southwest Corner, except for the butcher, and he and his family lived on the other side of the main drag, so close enough.  No Jews.  One Christian Science family.  Funnily enough, the town, dating from around 1870, was named Wenonah, and we all believed she was an Indian Princess who lived in the area.♠  In fact, in the woods near our home was an area that might have once been a fire circle, and we kids all believed it was from when Native Americans lived there.  We talked about it in awe, not in prejudice.  But, we were kids.

Aside from a few comments about saving your "Confederate Dollars, the South will rise again," I didn't see any overt racism.  And certainly not from my Father, or Mother.  But, still there was segregation, and restrictive covenants.  And it is good such things go away.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  It turns out that it is from a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, “The Song of Hiawatha”, where Wenonah was Hiawatha’s mother.