Beware the Dragon's Teeth myth

My mother was an immigrant. Your mother, grandmother, great grandmother or great-great was an immigrant. That’s us: Children and grand- or great-grandchildren of immigrants. Even the peoples mistakenly termed “Indians” by explorers migrated here from elsewhere, over the once-existing land bridge from Russia.. Mankind has been a mix of nationalities, ethnicities, colors, religions for thousands of years. And here, as everywhere, it’s a mixture that includes prejudice.

But thanks to growing wisdom in the United States, most of us have learned to get along, enjoy our differences, admire our differences and be proud of ourselves for doing it.

Each of our nation’s peoples have grown, over eons, to excel -- maybe in sports, maybe in music, logic or invention. Maybe in art. Mankind is miraculous in ability to become outstanding in so many, many, many ways.

We like the advantages our nation gets from these peoples of the world who excel, each in some unique way. And because our nation is what it is, a swirl of peoples, our vitality, determination, inventiveness, energy and humanity have been the envy of the world.

Because our people are who they are, and because the Statue of Liberty says it for us, the best and the bravest can have the courage to come here; be part of us.

Don’t let your neighbors, your friends, your relatives fall for the new fear-mongering talk coming down. It’s deliberate; trying to divide us. Why? Remember the old Greek myth, The Dragon’s Teeth?

This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Beware the Dragon's Teeth myth."