Country of Choice

[Doyle Hargraves]

Something a friend forwarded to me that was actually worth reading for a change. Taken from some newspaper in Tampa:

Will we still be the Country of choice and still be America if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries that came to live in America because it is the Country of Choice??????

Think about it.

All I have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS? I celebrate Christmas, but because it isn't celebrated by everyone, we can no longer say Merry Christmas. Now it has to be Season's Greetings. It's not Christmas vacation, it's Winter Break. Isn't it amazing how this winter break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday? We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend anyone, that I am now being offended. But it seems that no one has a problem with that.

This says it all!

This is an editorial written by an American citizen, published in a Tampa newspaper He did quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!

IMMIGRANTS, NOT AMERICANS, MUST ADAPT. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Americans. However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct! " crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.

I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to America. Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants. However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand. This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!


"In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan.. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented.

It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.

If Stars and Stripes offend you, or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle. Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion and we will allow you every opportunity to do so!

But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.

It is Time for America to Speak up.

[Asha]

Or emigrate.

[StrayRogue]

I agree that the increasing desire to be more politically correct is becoming more and more stupid. Fireperson?! Wtf.

[Asha]

Milkperson!
:lol:

[ElanthianSiren]

Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

Will we still be the Country of choice and still be America if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries that came to live in America because it is the Country of Choice??????

America is still the country of choice because of the rights it affords its citizens, primarily freedom to criticize government, policy, and the judicial system in general. There are few, if any, countries that give one so much leeway.


Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

All I have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS? I celebrate Christmas, but because it isn't celebrated by everyone, we can no longer say Merry Christmas.

Very few major religions celebrate some type of holiday at this time. If you're a pagan, it's winter solstice or yule, a minor feastday. If you're jewish, it's hanukkah. if you ascribe to the african faiths, (which I know very little about btw), it's kwanza. Christians obviously celebrate Christmas. Of the top 10 faiths of the world, those being christianity, islam, hinduism, buddhism, sikhism, judaism, baha'ism, confucianism, jainism, and shintoism, only two celebrate a major holiday at this time, so people-wise, definitely a minority.

The U.S. government functions on the principle that the majority rules.

However, certainly, if you passed me, and said "Merry Christmas," I would return it to you because it is your holiday. The governing bodies for institutions like schools simply remove the word "Christmas" because not everyone celebrates that as such. It would be like the government declaring "Everyone must say Happy Solstice." or "Happy Hanukkah."




Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

This is an editorial written by an American citizen, published in a Tampa newspaper He did quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!

Without knowing the newspaper or individual, I can only comment that he definitely put forth the conservative position that's been argued and rejected from the courts several times in the past.



Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct! " crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.

What specifics examples is he citing here? This is fluff and really has no basis for his argument as he hasn't backed it up with examples or research.



Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle.

...and absolutely, the best thing about the Constitution of the United States is that nobody is forced to conform to our culture or identity except in the instance of a broken law. Again, very rousing fluff.



Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

Absolutely 100% correct. No taxation without representation, same work, same wages, etc etc etc.


Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!

Now, here's where I start disagreeing. There is absolutely, positively NO DECLARED language in the U.S..

My mother's great grandparents came from Romania. When they immigrated here, they lived in a small section of Philadelphia that spoke ROMANIAN and owned a butcher shop serving ROMANIAN customers.

Their children grew up speaking Romanian *and* English. The language one speaks in the U.S. is dictated, not by mandage, but by a simple question (as we are a capitalistic society): "Can you make enough money to survive?"


Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

"In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan.. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented.

Where is that documented? -Nowhere in the editorial. I will take a stab at this though: While it's true, the majority of the immigrants at the birth of the US followed a sect of Christianity, I don't see the "In God We Trust" motto as anything more than the perceptions of the day that the Christian god was the only god. Being that that slogan was coined hundreds of years ago, to me, it's an arbitrary question of what was popular at the time.

I feel the same way about "One Nation, Under God", though that was added in 1954. It is called Ceremonial Deism, but in no way does it accept to say that every person in the U.S. worships the same god or even *A* god (because the Constitution again gives people freedom of religion).

But once again, if a Christian said to me, "God Bless You", I would respond with "Thank You." Why? Because they are asking THEIR god to bless me. A pagan friend of mine used to respond with, "Thank you -- she does everyday."


Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.

Again, the proof of this is obviously in who you are talking to. If the original composer of this editorial feels this is even a matter of importance, he or she obviously feels god is slipping from the culture of enough individuals to mention.

That being said, I could argue that God is not part of the culture of at least enough Americans for him or her to worry about.


Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

If Stars and Stripes offend you, or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle. Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion and we will allow you every opportunity to do so!

But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.


...unless you propose to state you don't believe in stars or stripes or God; then we (or the original composer) will tell you to leave. The Amendments of the Constitution of the United States apply to every citizen, again, barring legality problems, not just those who think war is great and a Christian deity presides over all.


Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves

It is Time for America to Speak up.

Now, back to that original question. I see this editorial as one of the most unpatriotic, unamerican things I have ever read (and it does nothing to express my sentiments on american culture either btw).

I'll use a simile.

As I love my boyfriend, I know quite a bit about him. You can definitely say I understand the basics of how he thinks, what he believes, his founding principles, yet the person who wrote this editorial, who professes to love his country so much, has chosen to disregard, (or cannot grasp), even the most basic fundamentals of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights afforded to ALL U.S. citizens.

IMO he did a horrible job and hopefully is not representative of our culture.

-Melissa

[Bobmuhthol]

<<Of the top 10 faiths of the world, those being christianity, islam, hinduism, buddhism, sikhism, judaism, baha'ism, confucianism, jainism, and shintoism, only two celebrate a major holiday at this time, so people-wise, definitely a minority.>>

Damn, you must be retarded, or neglecting the fact that Christians account for 1/3 of the world, and even more of America.

But they're such a minority!!


edit: I just checked, over 3/4 of American adults are Christian. What an astounding minority they are.

[Edited on 4-3-2005 by Bobmuhthol]

[Xcalibur]

Originally posted by Bobmuhthol
<<Of the top 10 faiths of the world, those being christianity, islam, hinduism, buddhism, sikhism, judaism, baha'ism, confucianism, jainism, and shintoism, only two celebrate a major holiday at this time, so people-wise, definitely a minority.>>

Damn, you must be retarded, or neglecting the fact that Christians account for 1/3 of the world, and even more of America.

But they're such a minority!!


edit: I just checked, over 3/4 of American adults are Christian. What an astounding minority they are.

[Edited on 4-3-2005 by Bobmuhthol]

america the country or the continent?

[Bobmuhthol]

The country.

[Xcalibur]

just to make sure.... a protestant wouldn't be counted as a christian, right?

[Edaarin]

Time to dust off the whole "tyranny of the majority" thing?

[Bobmuhthol]

Protestants are Christians that separated themselves from the Catholic Church.

[Xcalibur]

totally, and last I recall, they both share the same holidays....


Edaarin: it's the demacraty's basis.

[Doyle Hargraves]

IMO he did a horrible job and hopefully is not representative of our culture.

I think the overall point he's trying to make is that this country is in the process of politically correcting itself into roughly the equivalent of a librarian with a 2x4 shoved up her ass.

[Edaarin]

United States isn't a democracy.

[StrayRogue]

Don't you mean demacraty? :lol2: