0 posts 6/24/2010 3:26 pm
Last Read:
8/20/2010 11:02 pm
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Pay back for Primus
In my last blog I talked a little bit about the evolved theme in my blog which is to stand up for equality under the law and inherent fairness to all. What I did not reveal is why I have such a deep-seated commitment to my endeavor. Why should I care about Native Americans it is not like I owe them anything. What about Black People? I am not responsible for the Black experience in America, it is not like I have ever owned a slave. You may ask yourself why am I bothering to write in defense of Israel it is not like I am responsible for the holocaust? Lastly why am I so captious of the Catholic Faith and why do I keep leaning on them for reform? I intend to tell things about myself that most people would rather keep in the closet.
Time to start coming out of the closet about my past, or more accurately my family past. I started to do some research into my genealogy to trace my roots and what I found was quite disturbing. My grandfather on my mother�s side had his parents die at an early age, so he was an orphan. As best I can learn from word of mouth is that grandfather�s parents died of influenza in the great epidemic of 1918. My grandfather was raised by his grandmother. I was once shown a picture of my grandfather�s grandmother and what I saw in the picture was a full blooded Indian Woman who was wearing a traditional dress with lots of fringe and probably bright ornamental colors as well were it not for the black and white photo. When my grandmother died I went looking through her possessions for that photo, but it was not to be found, probably went with him in the divorce. From what I understand she was either a Creek or Choctaw Indian, which would make me 1/16th Native American, I call it my wild streak. Were it not for this Native American woman raising my grandfather I would not be here today, so I am all for paying back the favor. What about Black People it is not like I have any black cousins, as a matter of fact I do but the closest relation is my father�s uncle. The real driving force behind my promoting justice for Black People is my 12x great grandfather. My 12x great grandfather was Peter Lewis Soblet/Sublett. Peter was a Huguenot who fled Catholic persecution in France and settled in Manakintown Virginia. The Huguenots were pacifists who were dedicated to non violence. In Peter�s final will and testament which can be found online in a book titled The Sublett (Soblet) Family of Manakintown, King William Parish, Virginia ...By Cameron Allen. I have learned that he bequeathed his slave Primus/Prymus to my 11x great grandfather Abraham Soblet.
Abraham�s Ann Soblet my 10x great grandmother died within 6 months of coming to America so harsh were the conditions, the life of a slave could not be expected to be much better. I have little doubt that Primus and the 6 other<b> slaves </font></b>that Peter owned were worked relentlessly. I cannot cop an it�s not my fault attitude about the black experience in America, we were the very first to bring them here. On a side note, when I hear people talking about being a 4th or 5th generation resident, I can�t help but chuckle, if they only knew they were standing next to a real founding family member. So now you know why I stand so strongly for the rights of Blacks in America. I left out the part about my good friend dying in my arms in the streets of Oakland, but some things I just can�t talk about.
Not only is Israel the apple of my eye due to my extreme faith in God�s word and his precious promises, but I discovered even more about my past. No, I am not Jewish. Well I might be a little, we found a book of Josephus and several Jewish effects like a menorah in my grandmothers effects when she passed on, but she was devoutly Pentecostal so who knows. Grandmother�s mother was however from a family that came to America and settled in Appleton, Wisconsin to take up the family business of brewing beer. Brewing beer, a noble cause if ever there was one. Part of the family remained back in Wurtemburg, Germany and remains there to this day. In my fathers aunt�s effects are pictures of her cousins back in Germany.
The photos of my family back in Germany show them all with the trademark toothbrush mustache and swastika armbands. Were not just talking soldiers in the army here, these are a black uniforms of the hated Schutzstaffel. I have little doubt that members of my family are responsible for the deaths of many Jews. On a lighter note I would like to point out that even though the Germans were morally inferior to the allies they sure did have snappy uniforms, and all looked real handsome like.
The one I have saved for last is my being so, so, I don�t know what word to use here. I don�t want to hate any one, and consider anyone who confesses Christ to be a brother, so I don�t want to live on ancient hatred and I don�t. Sure my family escaped treachery and murder in France after the Saint Bartholomew�s day massacre, but that is actually not what drives me.
My great grandfather came to America via the Island Faial. The Portuguese Island of Faial is inhabited by Portuguese, and Flemish people. The Flemish people are called Flemenza. Since none of my family look very Portuguese I figured that maybe I am Flemish since most of my family all come from within a few hundred miles of Flanders, not to be confused with the Flanders of the Simpson�s. What I learned is that my name sake was the head henchman of one of the most notorious tyrants of the Spanish inquisitions and literally thousand perished at the treachery of this evil man. I don�t know how someone can think that they are pleasing to God by murdering people in his name, but Catholicism is one good way to get flawed doctrine. any time I here about Papal infalability I wonder how they go about rationalizing the murder of Gods . On a lighter note, and I always have a way of finding a lighter note the first mate of Christopher Columbus carried my surname. Actually it was his first mate on the second voyage.
Many of us have similar family histories that have been lost in the sands of time. I have been blessed and cursed to know my family past and use it as inspiration for how to live my life. I�ve had to do quite a bit of drinking for you to get this out of me, so me and my bottle are going to settle down for a nice cozy one. Now you know a little bit about why I am as passionate as I am about equality, the rights of others, and the American way.
The illustration is just some random Obergruppenfuhrer, but it is the same uniform I saw in my Aunt's photos. |
I Swami Johnny see's all, knows all, tells very little.
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