B E B E R E

Is it out of line for me to see //s between the Acadian forced movements to the south of our country from Canada and the Mormon diaspora that took place years later? As a correspondant pointed out, a diaspora is a diaspora. What I find interesting is that the former group has been romanticized, much like the Native Americans, both in song and literature. The latter group is still vilified today.

I got to thinking about this after hearing on NPR yesterday a piece on tourism to a town in Illinois where the Mormons were driven from in the mid 19th century.

Return to Navoo

Having grown up nearby where Joseph Smith started the faith, I've been around the culture for quite a while and quite comfortable with the people. It was after having moved out of Western New York State and into New England that I first encountered (along with a lot of other prejudices and shows of racism) real hostility towards the LDS members. I've heard people refer to them as 'freaks' or 'wife beaters' or (get this) even 'heretics.' Is it the polygamy thing? Is it the extra set of commandments? The Angel Moroni visiting Smith? There were plenty of other such religions born during the same time as LDS, so I don't quite understand this. There is a lot of things that seem strange to me regarding this faith. But then again, I see a lot of strangeness in the political correctness of Unitarianism, of the smells and bells of Anglicanism, of the whole mysticism surrounding my faith. At any rate, just a bit of food for thought. And just another bit of what I see as a chink in the 'tolerance' of what is called 'liberalism' here.

Oh heck, one more link:

Evangeline

Was going through my head during the day yesterday after having heard the NPR story.