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John W. Nordstrom came to America from Sweden.
An immigrant.
His story is America's story.
JWN opened his first store at Pike and 4th in downtown Seattle in 1901, using money from the sale of a Klondike gold claim.
In "Washingtonians: A Biographical Portrait of The State," biographer Fred Moody declares, "The Nordstrom family is the Mount Rainier of the Northwest's civic and cultural landscape."
Who among us, particularly those of us who were born and raised here, would disagree?
However, in a memo to employees signed by Pete, Blake and Erik Nordstrom, one thing is absent.
In my hometown of Yakima, WA., Nordstrom came and went, but the last 116 years has seen Nordstrom appear in cities and communities across the nation. They are a classy store.
Indeed, Fred Moody is right. The Nordstrom family has contributed to the culture and community of Seattle, Washington State, and communities across the country in exemplary ways.
The Mount Rainier metaphor is not an overstatement.
Joel Connelly, writing for the Seattle PI reports that the family memo to their 75,000 employees, signed by Pete, Blake, and Erik voices pride in its immigrant heritage and offers support to any workers affected "either directly or indirectly" by President Trump's immigration order, "widely described as a Muslim ban," Connelly says.
The memo begins with this: "Last Friday an executive order was signed by the President of the United States related to immigration. This subject is one we are watching closely---our family's heritage, the company's roots, and the diverse employees and customers we serve are top of mind."
The Nordstrom memo continues: "We know there are questions for some around how the executive order affects them specifically. We are in the process of determining which employees may be affected, either directly or indirectly, and connecting with those folks to offer support."
It also says, "We currently employ more than 75,000 people who comprise different races, ethnicities and genders. We literally have thousands of employees who are first and second generation immigrants. It's important that we reiterate our values to all of you and make it clear that we support each of our employees. We will continue to value diversity, inclusion, respect and kindness---you can count of that."
Who doubts their commitment to their values? Or their sincerity?
Almost all of our families came from somewhere else. Most of us are not native American Indians.
Connelly raises the fact that the Nordstrom memo "comes as the Seattle-based company said it will stop selling Ivanka Trump brand this season, a line that sparked boycott threats and conflict of interest claims given the first daughter's role at the White House."
The Nordstrom family says the decision not to carry the Ivanka Trump brand of clothing was based solely "on brand performance." The company had begun selling Ivanka Trump footwear ion 2011.
Nothing personal---just business.
However, here is the part the Nordstrom family seems to be missing---and journalist Joel Connelly seems to be exploiting.
Sweden is not Syria.
Nether is Finland or Germany or Ireland or Italy or Spain or Scotland or Israel or the myriad of other countries represented in the immigrants who have been coming to America since Jamestown and Plymouth.
All were looking for a better life for themselves and their family. Many seeking religious freedom. All wanting to assimilate and become an "American."
The media is obsessed with casting Trump's executive order as a "ban on Muslims" ---anti-American.
It isn't. It is a ban on Syria until the vetting process can be improved, because Syria is a hotbed of terrorist activity and a launching pad for terrorists to other parts of the world---specifically America.
It has been repeated often, but is none-the-less true. All Muslims are not terrorists, but nearly all terrorists are Muslim, sympathetic to the cause of radical Muslim terrorists---and the "cause" is "death to America and Israel."
To the other 6 countries on the list---a list that President Obama and Congress formally identified as countries of concern---President Trump is placing a pause on immigration until America can be sure of the vetting process.
With due respect to the Nordstrom family and the millions of families, and the millions of legal immigrants the media and far Left are misleading on this issue or simply exploiting for endless news stories that trash Trump---The terrorist problem we face in America today did not exist a century of more ago as it does today.
The countries who are exporting terrorists are Middle East countries, not Scandinavian.
While Joel Connelly uses this false, misleading narrative, and one of Washington State's most prominent families to advance his case for open borders, hoping to baptize the public in mythology, Chuck Todd was attempting essentially the same thing Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press" with his guest Vice President Mike Pence.
Pence didn't buy it. Neither do I. I pray you don't either.
In both cases the public is being misled and misinformed.
Be informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Prayerful.