Those of us who are FAR AWAY from statue topplings and movings don’t always know the whole story. We see statue go “boom”. But when you learn why statue-go-boom, what you think you see isn’t always what’s there. “On Saturday afternoon, a group of about five dozen indigenous activists of all ages — children and elders included — gathered at Father Serra Park in downtown Los Angeles, just south of Olvera Street. As Tataviam/Chumash elder Alan Salazar burned sage and invoked the spirit of his ancestors, a group of young activists bound the nearby statue of Father Junipero Serra with ropes and tore him off his pedestal to chants of “Take it down! Take it down!”” https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-06-20/statue-junipero-serra-monument-protest-activists-take-down-los-angeles

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I was 13 years old when I first heard of the guy, back in JPII days. 1985. Controversy immediately from the moment he was named Venerable.Saints are rarely without some controversy but this one being a rare American soil possible Saint was extra newsworthy. There were protests and lots of letters to Catholic leaders over this.So, I forgot about it. This morning, I saw a video compilation of statues toppling and I was surprised to see one with a cross on it.That’s what prompted me to research and find this.

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 Here it was. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL-lxduH-Gk from “no comment tv” which I just discovered. Part of euronews. They shows news without commentary.One of the clips showed a statue with a cross on it so I was surprised. That’s what started my investigation and I was surprised to see an old familiar name.

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  I grew up in New Jersey:“When did NJ ban corporal punishment?
1867New Jersey was the first state to ban corporal punishment in public schools in 1867,”

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 Where I grew up, only bad parents hit their kids. It was considered nominally acceptable in black families — almost a joke of “how hard black grandma hit them when they got home” – but only for stand up comedians to talk about. In reality, they got their kids yeeted from them if they left marks.

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 Think about it: In your worldview, paddling was normal in public schools. In my worldview, paddling was banned in 1867 which might as well be 1000 years ago.Where I grew up the “spanking debate” was settled long before I was born. Spanking wasn’t and isn’t illegal in Homes in New Jersey but it wasn’t the kind of thing one expected to hear any families actually doing.

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 There really are a few different American experiences running in parallel.

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  I don’t know. New Jersey is always straightforward sarcastic pricks but have a good heart. Texas and Georgia are seen as sarcastic through a frozen big smile but you’re never quite sure of their intentions. “Honey chil'” and stuff.So, I dunno. Movies and TV usually make the stereotypes and I don’t believe them.

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  I’m not going to delegitimize your American experience, now that I’m understanding it better  — I actually forgot that paddling was allowed anywhere anymore – and I don’t know anybody who spanks their kids that didn’t end up in prison for something – but you’re from an area where spanking and paddling were everyday and commonplace.I don’t know what that’s like. Closest I can think of is Pink Floyd’s The Wall movie. “Another Brick in the Wall Pt 2” with the “We don’t need no education” and they paddle the boys and stuff. It’s foreign to me.

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 “First they came for our statues, then they came for our status”

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 “First they came for our statues, then they came for our status”

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 I tracked my family back to founding of USA stuff. They did Noahide laws as a bunch of little social experiments many of which ended up poorly.Actually wasn’t even Noahide laws but Moses laws. Thankfully no one in my family tree SO FAR was involved directly in burning witches BUT the 2nd wife of a past relative accused the 1st wife’s DAUGHTER of witchcrafted and tried to put her on trial.

Stepmoms.

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 FOr example, if Eiriksson is your real last name, and if you’re related to Leifr Eiríksson

I can now tell you that:
“Leifr Eiríksson is your fourth cousin 31 times removed.”

Well, my fourth cousin anyway.

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So far my ancestors did FAIR trades with native Americans. Got signatures. Didn’t do smallpox blankets. At peace.

One of them was a judge and had to deal with town teenage / young adults burning down an indian fort in the late 1600s.

He sided with the native americans over the local white kids. Local white kids had to pay fines, do jail time.

Fair is fair.

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