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January 2004
Golden
Opportunity
USA is a country of immigrants. If you can show your roots longer
and deeper, there is a better chance of your being “accepted”, you
may then not be on the top of the “Radicals List” to throw out. The
other factor is sheer number.
We the immigrants from Asia and particularly Indian Sub-continent do
not have big numbers to show. Numerically, we are insignificant
minority, but by our achievements, we do attract ire.
I remember when in 1973, we were opening the first Gurdawara in
Houston and sending out the invitations, we included just a page of
write up about Sikhs. In that little write up we mentioned that Dr.
Dalip Singh Saund, the First Asian to be the elected Congressman in
the House of Representative was a Sikh. That insertion made many
eyebrows go up. It sounded as if we have arrived. We got instant
acceptance by the good spadework done by our ancestors.
Now we have created a big name in almost all the legitimate fields
of activities, Medicine, Engineering, Law, Accounting, Teaching,
Nursing, Business and on and on. Our younger generation is doing
marvelously well. Here comes Dr. CHIRINJEEV SINGH KATHURIA, a
medical doctor, MBA from Stanford, A Businessman par excellent, a
visionary, who thought of private enterprise in space. Read Greg
Klerkk’s column in HC of January 22, 2004 and his book “Lost in
Space: The Fall of NASA and the Dream of a New Space Age.” He dreamt
that dream and took action too, and sowed the seeds to sprout and
for others to follow.
He is running on a REPUBLICAN PLATFORM FOR US SENATE FROM ILLINOIS.
We need visionary leaders with impeccable records of achievements in
Washington DC. I am reminded of a great movie of 50’s; “Mr. Smith
Goes to Washington.” Now half a century later, our Mission must be
“Mr. Singh Goes to Washington.”
Let us do our soul searching as members of Asian/Indian
sub-continent community. This is History in the making. Be a
supporter and part of it. You will be creating recognitions for your
progeny. His visibility will lend strength to your endeavors too.
Let us come out of our little boxes. Let us stop thinking, “OH, he
is Republican and not a Democrat, He is Indian and not a Pakistani
or Chinese or Vietnamese, or he is a Punjabi and not a Bengali or
Gujrati, or he is a Sikh and not a Hindu or Muslim.” These narrow
thinking and divisions had been the cause of India’s thousands years
of slavery. Get out of that mode. You are in a Free Country. Teach
these values to your younger generation too. Get involved.
I remember, silly arguments in Ethnic Press that “Bobby Jindal” is
not a Hindu and has become Christian. Let us not make same mistakes
again.
There is another way to look at his visibility with a Turban. Since
he is keeping his Turban as a mark of his religion. This proclaims
to the whole of the world that in America the Constitutional
Guarantees are alive and respected and we have not lost to the
terrorists, as we are visibly upholding ALL Freedoms including
Freedom of Religion. (Our Main Stream Americans Friends to please
note and SUPPORT HIM).
How can you help?
As we say “In God We Trust”, Let us pray for him and America.
If you are a voter in Illinois, you MUST come out and vote for him.
If you are not an Illinois voter, you MUST CALL your friends and
relatives that they must vote for him.
Send monetary contribution to his campaign fund. No matter how
small. “As they say for want of a nail, a shoe was lost, for want of
a shoe, a horse was lost and for want of a horse, the battle was
lost.” Your help is like that proverbial nail. Let us not lose for
want of a nail. Visit
www.kathuriaforsenate.com
VOTE FOR KATHURIA – SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS
“Mr. SINGH GOES TO WASHINGTON”
Jasbir Singh Sethi
Houston
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