Last Winter I posted a discussion about the “Locks of Love” on the Main Street Bridge controversy. Much to my surprise, it stirred up a lot of responses. One of the prominent responses was from a reader named Gary Hinze. Gary has followed my blog quite regularly, often commenting, ever since then. After my last post regarding the Japanese interment camps of World War II, Gary sent me the following story. This one just seemed down right necessary to pass on. How really silly can we get?
.
.
Ed,
How did I know right from the beginning that Larry was a Jap? Maybe because Eddie was a Jap. Edward Ikigami. Concord, California, 1955. On my first day in kindergarten I met a boy who shared many interests. He had a new toy he wanted me to see. When we discussed my visiting his house we discovered that we lived on the same street, that we would come to his house before I got to mine. We walked home together after school. We stepped up onto the porch and he rang the bell. His mother answered the door. “Who’s this?” she asked. “This is my new friend Gary.” he said. “What’s your last name?” she demanded. “Hinze.” I said. “Is that a German name? Are you a German?” she demanded. I was puzzled by this. I didn’t quite know how to answer, because I didn’t know what German was, but I was pretty sure I wasn’t. “No. I’m American.” I said. “Don’t you lie to me! That’s a German name if I ever heard one!” she said. Then she grabbed her son and pulled him into the house, saying “I don’t want you playing with this German. I’m going to call all the other mothers in the neighborhood and tell them to not let their kids play with this German.” and she slammed the door. I was puzzled. Had I done something wrong? Was I a German without knowing it? Did I unknowingly lie? What was so bad about being a German? She did call all the other mothers in the neighborhood and soon none of my former friends would play with me. I knew I couldn’t ask any adults about this, because I wouldn’t get any straight answers. I had already concluded that all the adults in my world were stark raving mad. But I was able to make discreet inquiries among my former friends, who informed me that the Germans were bad because they just lost a big war. In addition, they smugly told me, the Japs were bad because they had also just lost a big war and they weren’t allowed to play with any Japs, either. None of this made much sense to this kindergartner, but it did suggest a solution to my playmate problem. I knew there was a Jap kid at the far end of the street, living on his parents farm across from the housing tract where I lived. I went down there and he was in the front yard. “Hey, Eddie, the other kids won’t play with you?” I asked. “No. I’m a Jap.” he said. “I’m a German and they won’t play with me,either. How about you and me play?” I said. “Sure.” he said. So we played together. He was a smart kid and we had a lot of fun. Pretty soon the other kids got jealous because we were having so much fun and they wanted to join us. We said “It’s OK with us, won’t you get into trouble with your mothers?” Apparently not. Seems nothing more was said. There is a mother network in every neighborhood. The phones will buzz with the latest excitement until every . . .
(Click here to read conclusion)
.
.
Ed,
How did I know right from the beginning that Larry was a Jap? Maybe because Eddie was a Jap. Edward Ikigami. Concord, California, 1955. On my first day in kindergarten I met a boy who shared many interests. He had a new toy he wanted me to see. When we discussed my visiting his house we discovered that we lived on the same street, that we would come to his house before I got to mine. We walked home together after school. We stepped up onto the porch and he rang the bell. His mother answered the door. “Who’s this?” she asked. “This is my new friend Gary.” he said. “What’s your last name?” she demanded. “Hinze.” I said. “Is that a German name? Are you a German?” she demanded. I was puzzled by this. I didn’t quite know how to answer, because I didn’t know what German was, but I was pretty sure I wasn’t. “No. I’m American.” I said. “Don’t you lie to me! That’s a German name if I ever heard one!” she said. Then she grabbed her son and pulled him into the house, saying “I don’t want you playing with this German. I’m going to call all the other mothers in the neighborhood and tell them to not let their kids play with this German.” and she slammed the door. I was puzzled. Had I done something wrong? Was I a German without knowing it? Did I unknowingly lie? What was so bad about being a German? She did call all the other mothers in the neighborhood and soon none of my former friends would play with me. I knew I couldn’t ask any adults about this, because I wouldn’t get any straight answers. I had already concluded that all the adults in my world were stark raving mad. But I was able to make discreet inquiries among my former friends, who informed me that the Germans were bad because they just lost a big war. In addition, they smugly told me, the Japs were bad because they had also just lost a big war and they weren’t allowed to play with any Japs, either. None of this made much sense to this kindergartner, but it did suggest a solution to my playmate problem. I knew there was a Jap kid at the far end of the street, living on his parents farm across from the housing tract where I lived. I went down there and he was in the front yard. “Hey, Eddie, the other kids won’t play with you?” I asked. “No. I’m a Jap.” he said. “I’m a German and they won’t play with me,either. How about you and me play?” I said. “Sure.” he said. So we played together. He was a smart kid and we had a lot of fun. Pretty soon the other kids got jealous because we were having so much fun and they wanted to join us. We said “It’s OK with us, won’t you get into trouble with your mothers?” Apparently not. Seems nothing more was said. There is a mother network in every neighborhood. The phones will buzz with the latest excitement until every . . .
(Click here to read conclusion)
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
