I found this clip under the heading "Advice for Israel: Guard What is Yours", on a blog called Lemon Lime Moon. There was a link to David Yeagley's article and website. It makes for very interesting reading and is worth a visit. David Yeagley is very concerned about the preservation of nations, and as a Jew I understand this feeling, although, personally, I was far more liberal at one point in my life. When I was young (a very long time ago) I lived in the north, where the majority of the residents were Treaty Indians (some lived on treaty land while others settled the surrounding areas). In time, a substantial black population arrived, along with a hodge-podge of immigrants from the Ukraine to Germany and, a rather large Hutterite colony.
Basically, the people were poor and worked the land. Although there were major cities a half day's drive away, we had no electricity, no telephones, no running water and no roads (just a trail through the bush). There had been a lot of friction "at one time" but the tiny groups "merged" and supported each other. The bands under "treaty" did not like inter-marriage as it affected their rights, nevertheless, every family ended up connected to each other to the point where it was hard to figure out which parents the kids came from!
I remember going from field to field with (ancient) equipment to plow and plant, cut hay, then threshing~everyone worked together until all the crops were in. Those with no equipment provided muscle, meals, fresh water or whatever they could. I still look back and remember it as one of the best times of my life. Sadly, I think the days of "living and working together" to survive, and people "really caring" for each other may be lost. Progress, the daily conveniences that come with it have also brought about "isolation". The days when we truly valued our friends and neighbors, knowing we could "rely on each other" for survival, are vanishing, and have given way to an unbalanced sense of "I, Me, and Mine"...
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