By Leo Laferriere
In November of 1956, we had come in on an overnight train from the U.S. Army Military Police training center in Fort Gordon, Georgia. Riding a bus into Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, we were assigned to assist in processing Hungarian refugees fleeing the tumult in their land for the hope and values of new lives in the United States.
The day was sodden, overcast, gray and drizzling rain. On my right I noticed a large, square, one-story building with long lines of people extending from each of the four corners. I wondered to myself, what’s going on there?
We were promptly brought into that building – the post mess hall. The lines of people were the Hungarian refugees, men, women and children – often in their heavy winter coats, now made heavier from the rain. I said to myself, “You’re looking at history being made here – remember it.”
And I have.
Without knowing much about the government’s details and policies regarding these immigrants, we were told to treat them with courtesy and respect. There were to be no outward signs of hostility. Gone from our uniform was the long, black nightstick and the pistol.
In the atmosphere of today’s election environment, I think about that scene. How would an aspiring president handle a similar situation: Would aspiring immigrants be as hopeful? Would their first contact with U.S. citizens be characterized by courtesy and respect?
We can help in choosing what our nation’s policies will be, in these and many more issues. Despite its flaws, democracy has continued to provide this country with the hope and values sought by those who stood in line at Camp Kilmer 60 years ago. A successful democracy requires the active participation of its citizens – voting is one of its most meaningful methods of participation. Waiting for ideal conditions – the just-right candidate with the right positions – is not an option offered by time and circumstances.
This is a critically important election, with critically important long-term outcomes, dependent upon the voice of citizens. Although a bit harsh, the writer Dante said it this way: “The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who, in a time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”
Laferriere lives in Waitsfield.
