Posted on 12/28/2005 11:40:33 AM PST by presidio9
President Bush December 19 sent warm greetings to all who are celebrating Kwanzaa -- a seven-day observance emphasizing seven principles of African culture.
Kwanzaa, which will begin December 26, represents an African-American and pan-African holiday celebrating family, community and culture.
For additional information see Holidays and African Americans.
Following is the text of the statement:
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary December 19, 2005
December 2005
I send greetings to those observing Kwanzaa.
African Americans and people around the world reflect on African heritage during Kwanzaa. The seven days of this celebration emphasize the seven principles of Nguzo Saba -- unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. These values contribute to a culture of citizenship and compassion, and Kwanzaa activities help pass on African values and traditions to future generations.
As families and friends gather for Kwanzaa, Americans remember the many contributions African Americans have made to our country's character and celebrate the diversity that makes our Nation strong. May your commitment to family, faith, and community thrive during this holiday season and throughout the coming year.
Laura and I send our best wishes for a happy Kwanzaa.
You mean the war against a business owner's right to free speech being led by people who just a decade or so ago where bitching about the over commercialization of Christmas, and now are upset about merchants decommercializing it?
Bush just legitimatized it for time immemorial. Sometimes I really think... maybe he is stupid.
I thought McCaniac outlawed the celebration of torture last week ?:O)
At least the founder of this crap didn't make his victims wear their panties on their heads ......
I want a distinct separation of Church and State...don't you?
Do you advocate public school teachers teaching your kids religion?
Eliminating Christmas altogether from schools and the public square is absurd, so I am with you on that.
That's a lame defense of this stupid P.C. move by the President.
Reagan? In your dreams. He struggled with signing the King Observance into law.
Then get busy with that Ammendment campaign. It's not in our Constitution.
I advocate very little "public" anything. I went to Jesuit schools, and so will my kids. That being said, no, I don't think public schools should teach religion. But only for the same reason that I don't trust the goverment to teach my kids anything else.
You just contradicted yourself.
How do you figure? My point is not that public schools are not permitted to teach religion. It is that they have already demonstrated their incompetance.
You believe that public schools should demonstrate a competence in religious teachings?
What a farce!
The compare quite well. You just refuse to see it.
While the President is president of all Americans, Americans in general will not tolerate a holiday celebrated by people who advocate racial hatred and violence...Kawanza advocates neither, in spite of the actions of its "inventor", the celebration (not a holiday) is simply a celebration of heritage. So your objection to a Presidential remark to the celebrants of Kwanzaa is purely racially based, and motivated by some sort of basic problem within yourself.
First, the "heritage" celebrated by Kwanzaa is purely an invention. Second, it is, in fact, a holiday based upon racial hatred and violence. See my other post in this thread to Clara Lou which explains things that you may not be aware of. Finally, don't call me a racist. You've pulled that some crap in threads about border security and now you're pulling it here. The problem is within you wherein you're looking for a racist under every bed and in every closet and you seem to believe that everything boils down to race. The only racism going on here is that exercised by the inventor of Kwanzaa and those who observe it. What else is "black nationalism" except for raw racism? Please, get a clue and stop making such an ass of yourself.
These celebrants take nothing from you, they seek to take nothing from you, they force nothing on you, nor do they seek to force anything on you.
Neither would the KKK celebrants of the equally fictitious Klanzaa holiday but no one would let any President get away with recognizing that sort of holiday. Yet, there is no difference between the two. The KKK are white racist nationalists and the Kwanzaaites are black racist nationalists.
You have a problem.
No, you do. It is either willful ignorance or unreasonable denial. Go educate yourself on the subject and come back when you actually can demonstrate that you know something.
Hey, we can have the celebration right on the Elipse.
Here is one vote for Madeline Albright in the feats of strength segment of the celebration of Festivus next year.
I love that guy.
I never mentioned inherent superiority of those who settled America. My point was that the predominant cultures in Africa are destructive and have little or no redeeming value. It has nothing to do with racial or ethnic differences, it is all about culture and attitudes. My point was that celebrating "African" (in this case faux African) culture and values is idiotic given that nothing significant of any redeeming value has come from Africa in at least the last millenia. Why celebrate and attempt to preserve failed cultures while living amongst the most successful and free cultures in the history of the planet?
I can think of many cultures that have contributed little in the past thousand years apart from Africa. Should their descendants abandon them too? What has Iceland done since Leif Erickson?
I'll leave the discussion for the Icelandzaa thread after the President officially recognizes it. However, I don't recall any recent bloody machete massacres ripping through Iceland and killing tens of thousands of people. Man-made famines in Iceland? Nope. And as far as I know, there's not an Icelandzaa holiday designed to foster marxism, racial supremacy, racial seperatism, and the holiday wasn't invented by a sadistic gang leader. But, whenever that thread comes up, we can debate the fine points of cultures from Iceland.
Actually, you could be talking about Ireland, but that's beside the point. I agree that Kwanzaa is a bogus holiday. What I reject is the generalization about Africa that you continue to make.
But beyond bringing up other countries and cultures you've failed to refute my assessment of Africa's cultural contribution to the world for the past millenium. You've failed to find one redeeming value from the African continent that should be celebrated with a "holiday" like Kwanzaa. Africa has been so devoid of redeeming cultural values and heritage that Everett had to invent them and create a pure fiction. Don't you get that point?
Is it possible that different cultures value different contributions differently. The fact that the west has not embraced African art doesn't make it any less relevant to them. Again, I agree that Kwanzaa is a bogus holiday, but if African Americans choose to reflect on whatever that culture is, why is it so important to you that I don't.
I should point out that, like yourself, I know very little about African Culture. For all I they may have contributed a great many things in the past thousand years. I know that northern Africans were instrumental in preserving classical writings lost during Europe's dark ages. Mankind's historical record is roughly 4000 years out of 2 million. And Western European has been on top for about 400 of those. Just something to keep in mind.
You're sounding like a liberal. You're sounding like you may have drunk from the multiculturism and diversity kool-aid. While all men are created equal, not all cultures, beliefs, and behaviors are. Some are beneficial and some are destructive. Some keep an otherwise decent continent war stricken and impoverished. Some see the establishment of free and peaceful societies, the invention of extremely beneficial technologies and medicines, and the promotion of an unprecedented quality of life. This cultural relativism you've apparently subscribed to really isn't becoming of a FReeper. I should point out that, like yourself, I know very little about African Culture. For all I they may have contributed a great many things in the past thousand years. I know that northern Africans were instrumental in preserving classical writings lost during Europe's dark ages. Mankind's historical record is roughly 4000 years out of 2 million. And Western European has been on top for about 400 of those. Just something to keep in mind.
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