The Right To Leave

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???

I remember taking "Easter Vacation" when I was a kid in school, and now it's 'Spring Break'... and the visual reference I have of that is thousands of college kids in drunken orgies in famous vacation spots.

When I grew up, I proudly stood with my hand over my heart as I recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag just like everyone else did, and now it is illegal. Next thing you know, they'll do away with singing the National Anthem at the World's Series or the Superbowl! 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.

After hearing that the state of Florida changed its opinion and let a Muslim woman have her picture on her driver's license with her face covered this is an editorial written by an American citizen, published in a Tampa newspaper...

"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 many 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, Vietnamese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language! I am outraged every time I have to make a choice in language when I use my debit card or try to get a hold of customer service on the telephone.

"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 or her 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, our government, and our country, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE."

Don't worry, as soon as Costa Rica gets reliable pizza delivery I'm there. Just so I can stop being taxed to death

Historically, people came to America in order to become Americans. They were proud to tell people that they made all of the efforts necessary in order to do that. Immigration was a hardship for nearly everyone, but they gladly did that to be able to have the right to say "I am an American!". The word was that by coming to America and working hard, you had more opportunities available here to make something of yourself that was not readily available in your homeland. MANY people gladly took that challenge and made a succesful life for themselves.

Now people want a free ticket over here and then once they hit the ground, the first thing they want to do is to apply for welfare. Not all, mind you, but quite enough that it is becoming a disturbing trend. A lot of this could be nipped in the bud right off the bat by making the welfare application forms in English only, with no one allowed to bring in an interpretter to fill out the forms for them. Make the effort to learn OUR language or take the next boat back to where you came from.

Matter of fact, ALL official goverment forms, documents, and notices really should ONLY be in our official national language. I don't want to see a STOP sign on a corner printed in 12 different languages.

I hear many of these people claiming that they don't want to give up their culture or heritage in order to live here. Say that again?? Just who twisted your arm to make you come over here? If you want your culture, your language, and your heritage, the solution is simple. Go back to it.

This is OUR country and OUR heritage that YOU are coming to. You are welcome here, but please read the fine print on that welcome mat. Don't try to cut out a chunk of America to try to make it like the homeland you left. You left it for a reason, remember? We didn't go to your country and drag you kicking and screaming over to ours. WE do not want to give up part of our country or OUR heritage for you.

Yes, the United States of America has been known of the melting pot of the world. But you either melt in with the rest of us or get filtered out by the strainer and discarded.

When you come into this country, you should have to choose to be one of two things: An American or a temporary visitor. And the countdown for the deadline starts when your foot hits our soil.

We didn't go to your country and drag you kicking and screaming over to ours.

Not anymore at least! If we did, we'd have to pay restitution to them, as well!

America has not, and in my opinion never will be the "Melting Pot of the World." A history professor once told me that America is more like a "Tossed Salad of the World." Instead of several different ingredients melding together to form one thing, it is several individual ingredients that stand out on their own, but still are a part of the whole.

I agree 100% that if you are going to live in ANY country, you learn the damn language!!! I don't care who you are or where you are from or where you are going. If you are from the USA and are packing up to move to Hong Kong, you better damn well learn Cantonese. Even if you are hopping the fence from Mexico to the US, if you intend to STAY, you better be speaking American English toot sweet. I wouldn't move to Brazil and expect to be able to get a driver's license without being able to speak a word of Portugese, and noone should expect to be able to get one here without learning American English.

However, I don't think they should forget their native tongue altogether or meld into what we want them to be. They will have certain cultural ideals they will want to stick to, which to me is fine. BUT, they do still need to be able to acclimate and become accustomed to the customs and cultural nuances of the country they are now calling home. I wouldn't expect to go to Mongolia and be able to live exactly like I do here in the states, but I would still have my own cultural background.

In other words, all I'm trying to say is don't forget who you are and where you're from, but also don't forget that you are in a new home now, and YOU need to adjust, not everyone else.

Matter of fact, ALL official goverment forms, documents, and notices really should ONLY be in our official national language

I know that a number of times over the last decade and a half, give or take, this issue has been introduced and there has been some bill at some point virtually every year that wants to make "American English" (Originally a regional dialect until all of a sudden more people spoke American English than English English, so most linguists, from my limited research, consider it separate and dominant) the official national language...

But to the best of my knowledge at this time (Meaning I'm not positive) none of these bills have passed and we, as a nation are still without an "Official National Language"

I agree fully with the sentiments expressed about the need for individuals to become functionally able to speak the language used by the majority, the dominant language in the country, but as far as I know (if it slipped by me, correct me) English is not actually legally our National anything.

Something did change at some point where immigrants were concerned... My family is all relatively new to the country for the most part, with no lineage in the U.S. past the 1880's and three grandparents (And a number of Aunts) who are immigrants themselves. New cultures did traditionally experience a certain degree of isolation but nothing close to what I see going on now. What had previously been the case was usually neighborhoods within a larger municipality that tended to be composed of one ethnicity, but the borders were always fuzzy, the lines always blurred and the children were always encouraged to be "American" in ADDITION to maintaining what their family held as being important, the traditions, the culture, the history (The beer).

The thing is... many of the groups that now seem to be the most outspoken about their refusal to adapt in any way, were also, albeit in smaller numbers, among those who were before comforming to the country while still maintaining their individuality. I think the problem is not so much inherent in the particular groups as it is the ever increasing press to be Politically Correct and Affirmativly Active and Tolerant of Everyone (Don't ever get into a fist fight or even an argument with someone who isn't exactly the same as you when it comes to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age or sexual orientation or somehow you're commiting a "Hate Crime" even if it's just that one person you really really hate)... People were told that they needed to bend over backwards to be polite... mistaking "Respect" with "Don't critisize ANYTHING." If I had grown up being told I was getting a lot of free rides and nobody was allowed to ever say anything nasty to me no matter what kind of jerk I was being, I'd probably believe it too. Just because a system and an attitude is in place that allows an individual to act in such a manner doesn't mean it's morally right to though. The same as it's inappropriate to move to another country and outright disrespect it's traditions, it's cultural identity, it's heritige (That doesn't look like it's spelled right) and it's people. Especially when that disrespect means I end up being overcharged for a food item I didn't order by a clerk who hasn't quite figured out a base 100 monetary system and the value of our coins or the meaning of the words "Dr. Pepper... No you brainless jackass, that's diet coke, I said Dr. Pepper... DR PEPPER!"

Heck... they drive on the left side of the road in some countries too, does that mean newcomers should feel free to make themselves feel at home by driving into oncoming traffic?

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.

This is really the only part I really disagree with. One of the founding priniples of this country is "freedom of religion". This country was not founded as a Christian haven. I don't believe that any religion should be affiliated with the govt, with public schools, etc.

Now, I am an American. I was born here, I was raised here. However, I am NOT a christian (and I don't really care if that makes me unpopular). I don't feel I need to "find another home" just because I don't believe what christians preach. There is nothing wrong with being a christian if that is what you want to be. You can be a part of any religion, but no religion should be a part of or affiliated with the government. I am all for seperation of Church and State on every level.

One of the founding priniples of this country is "freedom of religion". This country was not founded as a Christian haven

Historically...

It sort of was...

Freedom of Religion really only applied to religions that were or were closely associated with Judeo-Christian beliefs.

You could be free to be Protestant, Jewish, Catholic or part of the Church of England, but it was... punishable... and never tolerated by the population as a whole or by the early colonial governments to be anything outside of Christian for the most part. Not that there were always specific government restrictions on religion... but there was no real protection or tolerance granted to anything that wasn't at least close to being a belief system held to be true by the founders.

Religion was also used numerous times throught the countries growth as motivation for a number of events... Native Americans were pagan savages who needed to be exterminated, states were broken up based on the movements and migration of religious groups and at various points there were laws about religion and land ownership, employment and localized rights to vote.

It might not fit in with the way history is idealized and might have been largely erased from public knowledge because it was suddenly unacceptable to mention instances of religious intolerance or religious promulgation in our nation (and pre-nation) but it is factual, like it or not.

History must always be taken contextually, the meanings of words can shift over time as the situations around them change and the descriptions given as being factual aren't always anywhere near what actually happened. The founding fathers were all upper class protestants and they worked it into early laws and into the principles they held to be true... The word "God" shows up a lot.

An Addendum to Seamus' comments:

The Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment have a very convuluted history. There were three prominent theories expounded by "founding fathers" as to "the separation of church and state."

There is the Madisonian Wall...basically that government (national government, states' were free to have religious oaths until the last one was dismantled in 1961) needs not be concerned with religion.

There is the Jeffersonian Model, which is an "absolute" separation. (Which we have never had.)

There is the Williams' Model- which is also a "wall of seperation," but a porous one- one that provides benefits to religions but confers no hindrance, or government taint upon them.

There were, in fact, discussions of polytheistic religions, as well as the overlooked third in the triumvirate of Judeo-Christian-Islamic thought, and in part, these possibilities animated the lengthy debate over the exact manner to frame these clauses. Put simply, the founding fathers did not agree, left it deliberately vague, and the Courts have interpreted it ever since.

As to all the "god" stuff, most of that dates to 1952-1954. The Pledge was recited for years without "god," all that was added to distinguish us from the "godless communists." I won't get into whether or not it "should" be there, but its a huge mistake to believe that it is a particularly lengthy part of our history.

We came here.
My Dad applied for work. He was told he was "over qualified". Okay so he applied for the position over the first one. He was told he was "under qualified". Must be that heavy accent he had. Never the less. He NEVER applied for unemployment or the free money everyone else gets.

I came to this country. I leanred the language. In fact I spoke and read it and wrote it before I even learned my own national language.

I came to this country to be an "American". I do not remember coming to this country to turn all yous into Filipinos.

America celebrates Black history month. America celebrates Spanish whatever month. They also celebrate Asian whatever month. I am Asian and Spanish......But I sit at home wondering when in the world they will have a white people month.

When I visit a country.....I do try to learn and expect to speak that country's language. I do not go over there expecting them to speak whatever language I want them to speak.

This is the land of the free and home of the brave. So get a fu-----g job.


sorry but this topic kinda gets to me