It was widely believed in the scientific world that Prof. Fritz Haber, an early German Nobel laureate in chemistry had reportedly advised Prof. Albert Einstein, a Jewish physicist in early-carrier in 1920’s Germany to accept Hitler’s propaganda of German identity of nationalism and way of life. Pacifist Einstein, however remaining same, went abroad to deliver scientific lectures, while Nazi-s looted his home, forcing him not to be back in Berlin. Nazi-s, as a part of their “Final Solution for the Jews” found out that Haber, though converted to Christianity, had a distant Jewish lineage. Fearing for the safety of his family and himself, Haber who thought himself of a “great patriot,” had no choice but to leave Germany in early 1930’s.
But, that was more than four-score years ago.
Ganeshan Mishra, an Indian immigrant scientist in California was having an after-work drink with his fellow IT-colleagues. A few days ago, one of his best friends had been gunned down in another part of the country by a white supremacist. Influenced by the hate spewed against all minorities by recently-elected President, the shooter screamed “Go back to the country from where you came from.” To his disbelief, Ganeshan watched on the TV-screen on the wall that Dr. Ben Carson, a brilliant neurosurgeon from minority African-American community as well as a member of the ruling administration announcing in a meeting “That's what America is about. A land of dreams and opportunity. There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less, but they, too, had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.”
Ganeshan wondered “Wasn’t that equating slavery to legal immigration?”
Then, came his second thought “Why does history repeat itself?”
(After this essay was completed, Dr. Carson, facing strong criticism from the citizens, commented on a social-media site “Slaves were ripped from their families and their homes and forced against their will after being sold into slavery by slave traders. The Immigrants made the choice to come to America. They saw this country as a land of opportunity. In contrast, slaves were forced here against their will and lost all their opportunities. We continue to live with that legacy.”)
But, that was more than four-score years ago.
Ganeshan Mishra, an Indian immigrant scientist in California was having an after-work drink with his fellow IT-colleagues. A few days ago, one of his best friends had been gunned down in another part of the country by a white supremacist. Influenced by the hate spewed against all minorities by recently-elected President, the shooter screamed “Go back to the country from where you came from.” To his disbelief, Ganeshan watched on the TV-screen on the wall that Dr. Ben Carson, a brilliant neurosurgeon from minority African-American community as well as a member of the ruling administration announcing in a meeting “That's what America is about. A land of dreams and opportunity. There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less, but they, too, had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.”
Ganeshan wondered “Wasn’t that equating slavery to legal immigration?”
Then, came his second thought “Why does history repeat itself?”
(After this essay was completed, Dr. Carson, facing strong criticism from the citizens, commented on a social-media site “Slaves were ripped from their families and their homes and forced against their will after being sold into slavery by slave traders. The Immigrants made the choice to come to America. They saw this country as a land of opportunity. In contrast, slaves were forced here against their will and lost all their opportunities. We continue to live with that legacy.”)
