Lögberg-Heimskringla - 17.03.1995, Síða 10

Lögberg-Heimskringla - 17.03.1995, Síða 10
10 • Lögberg-Heimskringia • Föstudagur 17. mars 1995 . An American Visits lceland y Cont’d. Left to ríght: Jón Benjamínsson (cousin), Ásta Björnsdóttir (cousin), Thora Ásgeirson du Bois, and Grímur Björnsson (cousin) idea of Iceland as a treeless country was dispelled by first hand observa- tion. Trees both indigenous and imported are everywhere to be seen. Purists like Thora’s cousin Björn Björnson deplore the planting of imported varieties because they alter the original character of the country. To retain it he favours planting only the small indigenous birch, a small tree as much a shrub as a tree. Family Bonding and lcelandic Democracy celand is the world’s oldest democracy. Unlike American democracy it has a firm commit- ment to socialism in the area of social needs and guarantees. Our cousin Björn Björnson, a professor at the University of Reykjavík, told us that genealogy was the “national sport” of Iceland. Support of each other in the area of social needs may be connect- ed to a national passion for genealo- gy. An obsession to know how you connect to relatives and to common ancestors seems related to the high value Icelanders place on family and community. Over the years I have spent many drawn out evenings with Thora’s Icelandic family in Canada. It took me years to realize that the underly- ing agenda was a kind of family “bonding”. Before going to Iceland I had no idea where it came from, that it was not unique to her family, but is part of Icelandic culture as a whole. Family members come together to talk, eat, and to interact, yet the underlying agenda is “bonding”. Towards the last of our visit to Iceland we spent an evening at the home of Thora’s cousin, Grímur Björnson. Every member of the family is musically literate. All joined to sing Icelandic songs in four part harmony. It was a memorable and beautiful experience. To sing that well is testa- ment to many practice sessions and to “family bonding”. In addition to short term “bond- ing” sessions, it is a custom in Iceland to have an extended family gathering approximately every four to ten years at the maximum. This may involve 200-300 relatives, a great deal of plan- ning, and continue for several days. The reunion is to enjoy each others company, to reinforce a sense of belonging, to solidify family ties, and to “bond”. The importance of family accounts in my view for the unques- tioned support of national health care, and every other social support program, as being the only natural and rational way to educate, raise, and support each other. Iceland appears to be a country in which the well being of the greatest number is a principle of government. Politicians and politics seem ruled by a mind set that is civilized as well as spiritual. Cousin Grímur explained that Iceland has no Army or Navy. Hitler considered Icelanders to be ideal Aryans, but would have killed all Jews, handicapped, and aged persons, i.e. those who could not work. British air power protected Iceland from German planes and thus German occupation. Icelanders are in debt to both British and American military power for allowing them to continue as an independent nation, and as a peaceful and loving people — a kind of Shang-Gri-La of the North. With no military of its own, some Icelanders served in the U.S. military or Merchant Marine. Until recently a kind of moral and ethical education for children could be observed. War toys and films depicting violence were not allowed in the country; however there is little objection to nudity. Today the desire for profits from the sale and rental of video tapes and war toys have replaced former restrictions. We are left to ponder their effects on a coun- try without military forces, and where young children until recently played only with toys that fostered positive, constructive, and co-operative activi- ties. The lowest income for an Icelandic worker is 60-70 Krónur, or about $857 (U.S.). A church minister makes much more, and business tycoons make unknown profits. Corruption and inequity are present, yet the ratio of highest to lowest is estimated to not be more than one to ten. Thoughts on the Religion of Odin eligious freedom is guaranteed, yet I was surprised to learn that the state religion is Lutheran (evangelical). The government pays the salaries of ministers and to some extent the repair and maintenance expenses of all Lutheran churches. I was told by a retired bishop, one of Thora’s many relatives, that those who practice alternate religions are not obligated to pay taxes for the sup- port of the state church. nmiminaj/ H.P. 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