Old Adages

Most old adages and sayings promote some observation or wisdom that might otherwise been overlooked. One such adage is one I’ve never quite understood, perhaps because it contradicts my experience. That saying is, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” It promotes the idea that increased awareness or repeated exposure to something can lead to a lack of appreciation bordering on disdain.

A quick Google lookup finds that the saying is from the Bible, but not really. The actual biblical quote from Matthew says, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household." In many instances, this tends to be the opposite. I would rewrite the adage to say, “Familiarity breeds compassion.”

My case in point comes from several recent stories about the government roundup of immigrants said to be in violation of our laws. Without getting into the specifics or validity of the legal matters at hand, I have on several occasions noted that there are signs of compassion.

The following situation is not a singular event but an amalgamation of several recent occurrences. In a small town, community, or neighborhood, a local of Hispanic heritage if yanked from his/her place of employment or school and hauled away in handcuffs by heavily armed and masked police. Locals express outrage and are visibly shaken at the loss of their longtime friend, coworker, or neighbor.

During interviews, I have heard a number of responses that collectively can be summed to be like, “But Jose was a decent guy, hardworking, and never in any trouble. I thought they were only arresting gang members.”

In general, these people are upset when it is someone they know who is being demonized, but the remote roundup of “others” who are not known to them seems to be OK. The faceless somebodies are fair game, but the nice Hispanic local waiter, mechanic, cook, or gardener is a different matter. This scenario has played out in both Red and Blue communities.

While most would agree that the influx of immigrants across our southern border was a problem that needed to be addressed, most would also agree that things are now getting dangerously out of hand. Somewhere between this “nuclear option” and laissez faire lies a more compassionate but effective solution.