Are We Ready to Understand Our Real History?

Power Poster Number of posts : 721 Registration date : 2008-05-15

In the center of our home page is a Powwow located in Morris, MN. When I was present I could not help but think that this is our real history. Can you imagine the Native Americans searching for food at the top of the lake at the junction of Hwy. 75 and Hwy. 12?

There is significant cultural diversity in this area and have we accepted the true discoverers of this land? I suspect that we would admit that we have not.

As cultural differences in this country continue at a rapid pace we should look inward and make sure we are ready for this change.

Twenty-five years ago I attended a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce. A Korean businessman was considering building a business in the community. One of our leaders said, "I do not know if you will succeed here because we have never had anybody from Korea here".

In twenty-five years the issue is, have we grown more open-minded?

We have problems accepting white Norwegians and white Germans from out of town. This is something we need to work on.

Just becasue we are from out of town and out of the community does not mean that we are stupid. We may have a different approach in solving problems. Is Ortonville or Milbank so successful that only the locals have good ideas to promote the community?

Please watch the center portal and remind ourselves to be open-minded. Remember Jesus Christ looked to the thief on the cross and forgave him and welcomed him into the kingdom.

Christianity is a way of life. We have a duty to be open-minded and accepting.

Member Number of posts : 10 Registration date : 2010-02-22

My 2 cents??.....the whole town of Ortonville is not very open to welcome new people/visitors.

fishstick, Your comment caused me to think a lot last night and when I woke this morning. It is unfortunate that in any team if there are a few "bad apples" (or dare one say many "bad apples" on a team) it reflects on everyone else. What is left is for the decent team members to decide if they want to keep the unruly teamates in check, or if they will leave the team. There have been numerous citizens who have come forward on this site to talk about what is happening and there are others who have begun speaking out in closed circles. Things are starting to change.

What saddens me more than anything is the lack of Christians with a voice in this community. It leaves one to think that much of the Christianity in this community is a social club. Much is said and done in church to send money to the "missionaries" who tend to the poor uncivilized in other countries but nothing is done to root out the "uncivilized" behavior in our own churches. Gossip and self interest rule the churches. I have been criticized before for speaking on this subject but Christians are duty bound to admonish one another. Is it any wonder that other peoples of the world look on America with its Christian heritage and mock it when all one has to do is look at the behavior of the people who profess to be Christians.

Many of the Christians who I know have told me that I should just try to get along. Don't make any trouble. I prefer to be a Christian who stands up to evil. To speak out when there is a wrong. Why should I fear what others will think about me? Look at what they have said about Jesus for the last two thousand years. He stood against evil. In my own weak way I hope to always follow his example.

Computerwhiz said something profound to me one day. She said:

I would rather live my life in danger among real Christians than live my life in safety among plastic ones.

We all have to decide what kind of Christians we will be. Social Christians or Servant Christians.

Subject: Interesting Day Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:45 am

Thank you Fishstick for your two cents.

It was interesting yesterday when I was out and about, two people made a point of telling me that they did not feel welcome in the community and one said,"do you think that is why the town is not growing."

Food for thought. I personally believe there is more to it than that, but I have watched people leave the community because of its unfriendly tenor.

Whatever happened to "Welcome Wagon" projects from the Chamber? What about our churches?

We spent money on tourism, but what good does tourism do when we chase people away?

New member Number of posts : 1 Registration date : 2010-04-01

I have a few thoughts on living in Ortonville, as we moved here just under a decade ago.

When we first arrived, I was asked by numerous women if I played golf. No, I responded. Then I was asked if I played bridge. Again, the answer was no. I never saw nor spoke to any of these women again.

Later, we were approached by various churches. I have to say that most were very friendly. However, the secretary from one large denomination told us that if we weren’t prepared to work very hard for the church, not to bother to join. When I later told the minister of the church what had transpired, I was called a liar. Why would I make something like this up?

There’s another facet to being new in town and it’s something which can be taken several ways. We have always been asked which family (our last name) that we are related to. We aren’t related to anyone around here. So, are people curious because they want to find out if we are from good stock, or are they checking to find out if we really belong here? We also had a neighbor who told everyone we were related to someone not well liked because of certain business practices (and of course, we weren’t related), and it took a literal yelling match to get her to stop spreading rumors. Another staunch Christian – she told me so herself!

I was invited to a neighborhood coffee party by an immediate neighbor. Near the end of the gathering, she took me aside to explain that this was a one-time invitation, and that I was not being invited to join the group. Did I see any of these women again? Did I want to? Oh, perhaps when I drove past their homes, but I certainly didn’t care to speak to any of them again. Good Christians, all.

Sinclair Lewis was strongly disliked by many in his hometown when he based his book, Main Street,” on them, but he was dead-on for accuracy of small town life. It will change when all the old people and prejudices die off and there are no young people left to replace them. Demographics will win out. And maybe that’s a good thing.

Member Number of posts : 10 Registration date : 2010-02-22

Persecution is defined as the systematic mistreatment of an individual (or group) by another group. It’s apparent, not only to Fishstick, from the comments here that others feel the same way. Let me share a story….I was golfing one day here in town when a guy, acting very rudely, hit a golf ball at me because I was playing slower than he would have liked. (little did he know I was playing slow because of a group of women in front of me). I didn’t care….I was enjoying the day, the beauties of nature and the self reflection time golf allows me. This guy came up behind me and I said he and his friends can go in front of me….he said he didn’t see me standing there and acted like his ill act was unintentional. I said the group I front his pretty slow and he said “hit a ball at them…speed them up” (kinda like what he just did to me…huh?) I said I didn’t want to make anyone mad and the guy replied, “They aren’t locals”. Apparently it’s ok to act rudely to people who are not “locals”. This guy probably has a job in the area, which makes him feel entitled. He doesn’t work at the cheese plant. Fishstick believes in one community!!! One were I can golf and not have to get balls hit at me, or because I work at the cheese plant and my social class is not as high as others. We all eat at the same Cenex c-store and enjoy drinks at the Big Stone Liqour (even if they done away with the $1.50 special)……well I say end the hate, Ortonville. Now I will drink to that.

Subject: one community yes! Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:05 pm

I think we are all one community even when don't think so. Sometimes I think we are losing the guts to talk straight. Small towns can be nice and also not nice. If we have to pass off rudeness to outsiders as an isolated incident over and over again maybe it's not isolated, maybe it's a problem. If we can't own up to small things we can't own up to big things like our Country's history of treatment of Native Americans. When the American Experience series aired "We Shall Remain" I had to turn off some of the episodes part way through. I had to watch the rerun later. What a whimp, I couldn't get through an hour of the truth. I could only take 30 minutes at a time. I think we are only rude when we think we have the upper hand or the moral high ground and in reality we never have it.

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