One Reason

I was going to begin by mentioning that a few people did not like my wife.  I then intended to explain why.  Instead, I will begin by telling you that I read in yesterday’s paper—with tears in my eyes—that 27 people from some 22 countries took an oath for citizenship during a naturalization ceremony in Helena.

I witnessed my wife doing that very thing in Butte 31 years ago.  Her daughter—my daughter—sat beside me watching Uyen take her oath.  Following the ceremony, a woman walked up to me and told me that she had been listening to Helen talking.  “Your daughter,” she enthused, “is such a well-spoken little girl.  I could sit and listen to her talk all day.”

Watching my wife became a citizen, sitting beside Helen, and hearing that compliment about Helen made for one of the proudest days of my life.

That’s where the tears came from yesterday.

My wife was a refugee.  We were at war with half of her country.  Fact be known, her parents came from (fled) the communist side.

My wife was a refugee from Vietnam.  For that reason, some Americans did not like her.  They did not know her.  Did not want to hear her story.  Did not trust her.  They did not care that her father was a soldier on the American side.

America is in an ugly mood at present.  We are threatened from both the inside and the outside.  At the top of this menacing heap stand radicalized Muslims.  Muslim counties around the world seem tearing themselves apart.  Many Muslims wish that same destruction and much worse on us.  Some want in just so they can do damage.

I get that.

A few Americans would prefer that we block all refugees from all Muslim countries.  A million reasons to do so exist.  Even I am able list a dozen reasons.  But there is something bigger.  There is one reason to remain more thoughtful about this.  A reason to let a select few in.  For me, I simply think myself back in that courtroom 31 years ago.  I imagine sitting there watching my wife as she officially became one of the most patriotic and decent citizens this country has ever known.

Thank you for that, America.

--Mitchell Hegman