assignment #4 - lily gardner: andrew jackson, nice jewish boy?

If my hypothetical child is socially conservative, I don’t have any clue what I will do. This is no exaggeration. If I am being honest with myself, I will be physically unable to pull an Ellen DeGeneres, to reach across the invisible divide of a stadium seat and converse with a man, or war criminal. And while, I can only hope that my child would not commit crimes to the same magnitude, there can be no guarantees. Ben Shapiro was, like my theoretical children, grew up a nice Jewish boy - the results are less than desirable. 

If often wonder if, had my parents not been liberal, I would’ve been rebellious in spirit enough to disagree. Perhaps if we had lived in a different place, different state, the answer would be a definite “yes.” I wish it was, but I am unsure.

Before I moved to Lexington, I had never gone to school with a person of color. The closest we ever came to ethnic diversity were the claims of Cherokee heritage. The irony is, the boys in the back and their 1% heritage now support keeping Andrew Jackson on the $10 bill. I didn’t think much of it. 

The first time I returned home after moving to Lexington, I was bombarded by the locals with the usual questions. “How are you? Are there too many people? Are you scared?” And then, “Do you go to school with colored people?” I went to Winburn. 

I don’t think I told anyone until years later about that question. I dodged it, like I did all others, explaining that school and my teachers and my new friends were absolutely incredible and, of course, I would not forget my roots. 

The ICE raids started with the election of Donald Trump. Everyone loved the Mexican restaurants, with their sombreros and the way they sang and shoved your face into whipped cream on your birthday. They didn’t love the Mexicans, or their “felony records.” The lone Democrats said nothing.

So maybe, it doesn’t matter your environment or even beliefs, because if you don't act on them, what’s the point of having them? But mark my words, my conservative child, out the door.