Better to remain silent...

You know the quote from Abraham Lincoln: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

 Street art

And maybe I should, but I believe I have already established that I am just a fool with an opinion, just like everybody else.... and I can't really remain silent.

Even in my fair state of Massachusetts, the governor has patriotically proclaimed that the doors are closed to Syrian immigrants fleeing a war, with which this nation clearly had some hand in riling up that part of the world.

I wish the governor and all the other fear-mongering xenophobes had remained silent, instead they have removed all doubt.  Fools... and heartless, cruel and blind fools at that.

Now, I'm not a Christian, but hey, I minored in Religion at university, and I have some clue as to what Jesus was all about.  And I don't mean the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, gun-totin' with abs of steel on a dinosaur Jesus.  No, the other one, the one who encouraged feeding the poor, loving and taking acre of each other.  It is called compassion.

And here, in the 21st century, we have people saying "Only Christians immigrants!" (but not from Syria)... on the positive, here in Mexico...lots of Christians (ja ja ja).  And internment camps?!  And how you gonna prove you're a Christian? (an obligatory... "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition")

So please, spare us any more of the obviously warped view of Christianity.  It's as bad as their warped view of Islam.  It does not compute.

So I guess what I am saying is that this is painful and embarrassing for me as a gringo.  There are many times in Oaxaca, when I feel so proud to be a sorta oaxaqueño.  I mean I have tears in my eyes whenever I see the Flor de Piña dance or hear "Dios Nunca Muere." (fxd- gracias)

And I am not saying I am not proud of the good Ole U S of A, just not right now.

I would rather remain silent AND be compassionate and be thought a fool... but that's just me.