97 Orchard Street, on Manhattan’s lower east side, is a classic nineteenth century tenement house. Operated as a museum, the period-authentic apartments portray the lives of our immigrant ancestors. Featured are Irish, German, and Italian apartments with all the furniture, utensils, clothing, and bric-a -brac of everyday family life 75-150 years ago.
From our 21st century perspective, we view it quaint that our progenitors often lived three generations to a household – babies, parents, and a grandparent or two all in crowded harmony. Nonna and Nonno provided babysitting and wise counsel while Mom and Dad worked and were in turn supported by these erstwhile, grateful adult children.
Today, the Massachusetts congressional contingent are complaining bitterly that folks in Alabama and West Virginia and North Dakota, et al, aren’t being forced to subsidize our senior housing and heating aid programs. Seems that Massachusetts could pay for that themselves without seizing other peoples' money.
In more bucolic times, we met our life needs primarily by self effort and responsibility. If unable for any reason, our family was the next bulwark. Failing that, churches or local charities. Then, only grudgingly and with some degree of ignominy, government, be it local, state, or federal.
It is a rather odd thought that the federal government, with its power of confiscation, should support Nonna and Nonno so that their children can cavort in Aruba.
How far we have come.
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