Went to see the fireworks in Seaside Heights NJ

[Tucker08087]

I live about an hour south, and have always gone to our very small town July 4th celebration at the lake, but haven’t been able to for 2 years for reasons that I’m ALMOST ready to talk about. So last year, we watched from a boat in the Atlantic and this year I wanted to try being around people (PTSD). What I noticed were a whole lot of people who “some people” would not consider “Americans.” Quite a few from the UK, other parts of Europe, Eastern Europeans (who often work the rides on our boardwalks), but about half Hispanic. Seaside, itself, is a very mixed race/nationality area in every way. They have parades for just about every nationality you can think of. Maybe a smaller melting pot. Well, naturally, some guy with a NOT NJ accent (no, we don’t say JOISEY) had to bring up all the Mexicans with expensive sneakers. I don’t know the first thing about sneakers, but I had to say, “How do you know they are Mexican?” He said, “Well, they’re speaking Spanish.” I said, “And they are all decked out in pride in red, white, and blue. Ever occur to you that they are here legally and make a decent living in our multilingual economy?” He froze for a minute, looked at their patriotic clothing, and said, “No. It never really did.”
He walked away. I’m not sure if anything sank deeper into that noggin of his, but I was proud of my stand, especially considering where I’ve been these last two years. I was glad I didn’t end up with a black eye (5 foot blonde lady, here) but for a few minutes, I didn’t care.
Oh, and the fireworks were spectacular!

[BigmanPigman]

1. Good for you...more people need to speak up!

If I lived in DC I would've been arrested several times for "freedom of speech" by now.

[Tucker08087]

13. I'm getting older but I do have not only white privilege

But PRETTY WHITE GIRL privilege. I wish I had been more aware when I was younger, but I was also super polite and nice, and attributed it to that, but now I see that if someone punched my super cute face with my long blonde hair blowing in the ocean breeze and it got posted on YouTube, it might not end well for that guy. However, I say MIGHT, because no guy should be punching a woman (or anyone) over a discussion and some (many?) would have cheered him on. I was not aggressive. Just took the tone of having a discussion with the guy who initially quietly engaged with me.

[eleny]

2. Nice story!

Rec'd.

[3Hotdogs]

3. I'm from Essex County... Dem. country.

Stepdaughter and kids live in Cedar Run, southern N.J.

South Jersey, below 195 is Trump territory. It is (was) Eagles country.

Anyways, last month I went to granddaughter's promotion ceremony. I was taken aback when the principal made reference to the Eagles winning the Superbowl. The audience booed the Eagles.

There are new Trump billboards in parts of southern N.J.

[Tucker08087]

4. Yes, my town is Trump country.

I am disgusted.

[3Hotdogs]

6. I was gonna ask if you were from Tuckerton.

I enjoyed the fireworks on N.Y.E.

I have a great photo of the lit tree on the raft that I am going to enter in a Pine Barrens photo contest.

[Tucker08087]

8. Yes, I am.

I’m 4th generation. My son is adopted, 5th generation, racially mixed. I’m not sure if you can imagine the confusion of others and the Mama Bear reaction from me. This town was Quaker, and although I’m Catholic, that’s the qualities we always supposedly prided ourselves in. Large Native American population, although a KKK group formed in the 70s. I always loved it here. It was my peaceful, safe place. I have several acres in the Pines, but reality hit me (along with fists) a few years ago, and I now know that beauty, even in nature, is sometimes only skin deep.
I love that tree on the lake. Feels like home to me. It’s one of the things I will be sad to never see again when I pack it in.

[monmouth4]

17. I was raised in Absecon as a young person, South Jersey rules!!! n/t

[Tucker08087]

21. South Jersey is simply gorgeous!

People who have not been here have no idea. I know many people here are not religious, but I am, in a spiritual (don’t go to church but pray in nature) kind of way. I was raised in a strict Catholic upbringing, but when our own local priest was outed as a pedophile, and I knew some of the boys (now adults) and knew they were telling the truth, and saw what this supposedly religious community did to them, I could no longer support the church. Still, I believe in God and often see the beauty in South Jersey nature and feel God around me, surrounding me, speaking to me. I’m right in the heart of the Pine Barrens, a miracle of nature in itself. When I leave, I will always treasure the sights, smells, and sounds that exist nowhere else on earth.

[sweetapogee]

18. we lived

we lived in LEHT for 19 years until 2004. Before that Ocean Grove and Belmar. Really don't miss it though.

[Tucker08087]

19. I love the ocean.

Love the small town feel, although it has grown more than I like. It can be Payton Place, which is its downfall. Spent some time in Ohio and Tennessee. Both beautiful places with nice people. Also very red. Didn’t see much difference other than the lack of ocean. People in Tennessee were more polite, said they would overlook my NE politics.
The only place I’ve visited where I would move to in a heartbeat would be Hawaii, Maui in particular, Kauai after that, but not until my Piney clan is gone. We are very close, in heart and proximity. My stepmom lives in Avon By the Sea, btw.

[Tucker08087]

22. Really. I might actually know you! Lol!

How old are you, if you don’t mind my asking?

[Tucker08087]

11. It's still Eagles Country.

Don’t let the media fool you. Trump lost supporters with that stunt.

[heaven05]

5. ++1000

you are lucky. Most of these trumpers are cowards of the lowest sort who don't mind hitting someone smaller than them or shooting and killing an unarmed someone browner than them because "they feared for their useless, miserable lives". . I boycotted the red, white and blue bullshit this year. Probably never attend anything praising ameriKKKa ever again. I have to spit every time I think of who is at the helm of this soon to sink ship of state.

[Tucker08087]

10. I wore a dress from Hawaii

from a trip many years ago. Tan with flowers. You don’t get PTSD without going through something very traumatic. Sadly, I’m left with “what else can they do to me,” and wounds heal. If my son had been with me, I might have been silent. At 15, he’s 6 foot one and feels like he needs to protect me, and that’s not a role I want him to take on.

[Niagara]

7. K & R !

[haele]

9. Maybe they were Puerto Rican.

Wherever they came from, they probably had ancestoral homes in what is now the US far longer that guy's forebears did.
Which means they are far more American than he is.

Haele

[Tucker08087]

20. Yes, my ex was Puerto Rican

He worked for a place that had ICE visit about 20 years ago. He was overqualified and couldn’t figure out why they kept denying his raise requests. When ICE came, they told him to run out the back door. He was the third generation here in the USA. He said, “I’m American, you jackass! I don’t even know how to speak Spanish!” He quit about a week later.

[crazycatlady]

12. Ocean County is one of the reddest in NJ

[Tucker08087]

14. I know

The corruption in my town has just about destroyed me. Long story.
I’m a crazy cat lady, too. 5 rescues live in my home. Several outside. I board dogs,too, mostly dogs who have been abused, rescued, etc, and sometimes need to be fostered. Pets that have spent too much time in cages, not enough time in beds with hugs. My paying guests have the option of a doggie bed or to sleep in one of our beds if they feel safe enough. I have slept on our wooden floors if that was what worked, for both cats and dogs, until they feel safe. I don’t believe in cages.

[Blue_true]

15. Good work. nt

[Tucker08087]

16. Thank you.