On Jan. 20, the American people will have a new sheriff in town with promises of border control and safety, a thriving economy and two sex genders.
I am second generation to be born into this great country. My grandparents came legally through Ellis Island. My grandmother who was pregnant at the time of arrival was put into quarantine. She delivered my father in an institution for T.B. When people arrived on Ellis Island, they were given physicals and identification cards. Our native tongue was only to be spoken at home, never on the outside. This was demanded by my grandmother who insisted, “You are an American, you speak English.”
Times were not easy for our family because they came with nothing. I watched my family thrive in this country as middle-class citizens. I went to Catholic school for a better education because that was the mindset back then. Being brought up that there were only two sexes, male and female. Later on in life, my biology class validated that.
What has this country become when common sense is now absurdity? We do not know what the next four years will bring. But on Jan. 20 I believe it will be the beginning of a safer country, economic growth, male and female. Tim McGraw’s song titled “Back When” seems to speak of a country so long ago. Maybe in the next four years we can get to “Back When.”
Susan Lara
Perry
