AMERICA'S COMING OF AGE

Nationally the greatest story of 2008 was the Presidential Election and Obama's victory.

The election of a non-Caucasian to be President of the United States represents a coming of age and a victory for the American people.

Despite the resurgence of the KKKs, Neo-Nazis ,and other America First Hate Groups The majority of Americans have discarded ingrained sexual, ethnic and religious bias. An individual is being judged on that person's merits. We can only hope that the increasing economic crises does not cause a destructive attitude reversion. Moreover we must constantly be on guard that such heresy does not take control.

As a naive 16 year old I was perhaps not as upset as I should have been to find segregated facilities for Afro-Americans (that term did not exist then). Restaurants, washrooms, drinking fountains, schools, hospital wards etc etc was the way of life.

That was because similar prejudice existed up North although not as openly. Restaurants would deny service to "blacks", Hotels had no vacancies etc. Discrimination was not limited to ethnic groups, anti-semitism was rampant.The elite WASP community did not hesitate to use their position to implement restrictions on others. Even the depression had not changed that.

In Plainfield, the new Meadowbrook Village Garden apartments which were a model for New Jersey and perhaps the country would rent to only white Christians. The Plainfield Country Club continued its restrictions for decades after WWII. The Board of Governors of Muhlenberg Hospital was composed of PCC members plus a few from similar nearby clubs. The YMCA ran a separate facility on West 4th Street rather than accommodate Plainfield's small Afro-American community.

Of course time has a brought change. Regrettably the decedents of those who were victims have shown similar prejudices towards the new minorities as well as older civic groups.

There are nonsectarian organizations that are active today fighting all forms of racial and religious abuses. The Southern Poverty Law Center is foremost and along with the Americans United which leads the fight against religion impacting on education and government deserve our active support.

Although this election marked a coming of age for America, we must constantly guard against a small cohesive minority initiating hate actions and instituting an Ayatolla type government. The First Amendment was designed to protect us from a Theocracy which the religious right would have.