Today, I want to thank Mr. James Siravo for his letter suggesting I should move to some other troubled country. He did not suggest Finland or Sweden where their people don’t want to move to the U.S. He suggests I look over my shoulder for ICE agents because of my Hispanic name.
I am only going to suggest he read some information (books) about the real history of humanity and the creation of our great nation.
I do not allow for patriotism to make me stupid. I really try to make decisions for the betterment of the community and to leave a better world for my children and grandchildren once I leave this life.
Please read Yuval Harari. He is a historian and teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He says “We should never underestimate human stupidity. It is one of the most powerful forces of the world.” Humans are full with “nostalgic fantasies about the past instead of real visions for the future.”
To sum things up he says we are going forward with new technologies and new problems where the answer is by solving them as a world issue and not a single country issue.
The fires that burn Mexico to reduce their brush affect our population’s health. The industrial smoke stacks that China allows for their industry reaches our country with almost invisible and negative effects. The waste that our country causes us, in a negative way, all you have to do is look around.
Today, I will add a little bio about myself and try not to embellish anything. I was born in the state of Utah to U.S. citizen migrant parents. I started working at the age of six because child care was not an issue. After that age, I was taught to contribute to the family as much as I could and most of it was in the labor fields. For that reason I have lived in many U.S. states and later other countries.
At the age of thirteen I was on my own working the fields of North Carolina and Ohio with no kin or family members for support. I did not run away from home. There were family health issues. Government welfare was and is a shame to be on.
I never went to school nine months of the year. Five or six months were the norm for my elementary and high school years. At 14, I lied that I was 16 to start working at VAL-u-Mart (grocery store). I served my country in the military from 1974 through 1978. I went to college from 1974 through 1986, it took that long because I had a wife and twins to help support. I hardly ever study when attending college because I had to work full time but obtained a college degree.
I served my country as a field worker, a G.I., a clerk, Immigration Officer, Customs Officer, and have always been productive. Even today in my mid 60s am retired but I still work independently. I don’t drown myself in vices or sit in front of the TV for very long.
And last I want to say that I am mentality disable for caring about my country, my community, and the world. Sometimes I even get ornery to some people. But that’s who I am.
Have a good day Mr. James Siravo.
Santiago Perez, San Benito
