Posted on 05/24/2006 6:04:26 PM PDT by SJackson
A success story. Nice, especially since she wants to be here and assimilate vice take a free ride and wave her original county's flag.
I worked with a repairman who came in to fix our equipement. All I knew is that he was from Vietnam originally, not much else. He works for a big company, and we call him occasionally.
I always found his communication skills to be poor, he was tough to deal with because he seemed so irritable, and my high stress level got to me, so I treated him pretty brusquely on more than one occasion.
I didn't like working with him at all.
One day I was working an issue with him, and we had a lot of spare time between lengthy reboots. I got to talking with him, and he lightened up.
He told me he used to be an officer, captain of a ship in the South Vietnamese Navy. When we abandoned his country, he was taken by the NVA to a reeducation camp, where he spent eight years.
When he told me this, he looked at me, and said:
"Sometimes I can't tell if it was just a dream. The things I saw."
At that, he just stopped talking for a bit. I was pretty stunned. I asked him how he came to the USA.
He wasn't released by the communists, he escaped from the camp. He stole a small open sailboat, and spent 15 days in probably the most pirate infested waters in the world, the South China Sea and the Java Sea. Unbelieveable.
When I see him now, I get right over there to shake his hand first thing. That guy had guts. Major guts.
Americans of Irish descent wave the Irish flag on St. Patricks day, Italian Americans wave the Italian flag on Columbus Day. So I have a sincere question, when is it okay to wave another country's flag to show pride in your ethnic heritage?
Real Question....
I go to a salon run by a Vietnamese family. The father was in the South Vietnamese army and we've had quite a few heart to heart talks over the years. He too took a very long time to warm up to and it's because he lives a rather internal life remembering the horror of his younger years.
His children were all born in this country and work in the salon after school; most of them are in college.
He fully understands the political pressures that pushed us to leave Vietnam, but it was a major disappointment nonetheless.
His love for this country is palpable; they have flags at every station, outside the front door, and the most endearing sayings about this country on little plaques. He goes back to Vietnam every couple of years to visit his sister but calls America home.
Probably when you aren't making noises about taking over parts of a country you are a guest in?
Just a guess...:)
I watched the St Patrick's Day Parade in my city. The US flag was at the head of the parade centered in the middle of the street the bank of other flags followed directly behind . In the center right behind the US flag was the Green Flag with the Gold Harp of Erin to the flag bearers right was the Flag of the Old Dominion and to the flag bearers left the flag of the city.
That would seem how it should be. It says we are Americans, we came from Ireland and to its heritage this day we pay respect but first of all we are Americans.
I lived in a small Vietnamese village when I was 18. In general, when these people are bad they are horrible. When they are good they are the best I have ever seen. Make one your friend and they remain so for life.
That's been my impression because this owner has a large historical book about Vietnam and we go through it and discuss various aspects of Vietnamese history. The brutality is beyond which I've ever seen from other people, including the jihadists.
But this man and his family are the best people you could ever have on your side and as your friends. They are truly lovely people.
My mother goes to that salon as well and they hugged her when she went in a few days before Mother's Day -- and she just started going there but they know she's my mom.
Peach, there are five things in modern American history that I actually make me ashamed of my country.
1.) The betrayal of Chiang Kai Shek to the Chinese Communists after WWII.
2.)The Bay of Pigs
3.) The abandonment of Vietnam to the NVA, both militarily and fiscally.
4.) The stab in the back we gave the Shah of Iran
5.) The refusal to help the Shiites in Iraq after we incited them to rebel.
I know the USA is the best place to be in the world, and has done a lot of good in the world, but...the events above really get to me.
"Americans of Irish descent wave the Irish flag on St. Patricks day, Italian Americans wave the Italian flag on Columbus Day. So I have a sincere question, when is it okay to wave another country's flag to show pride in your ethnic heritage?"
Anytime you want. If you wave the American flag, are proud of America and proud to be an American, then to heck with anyone who wants to criticize you when you also want to express your ethnic pride.
Anyone ever gets to Kent, WA ask where "Happy Donuts" is. Best donuts in town...owned and operated by Vietnamese.
Kerry's wartime record influences Vietnamese voters
By Michael Kan, Daily Staff Reporter
9/23/04
A whopping 71 percent of the Vietnamese-American community plans to vote for President Bush in the upcoming election, according to a recent national poll by the multi-ethnic news agency New California Media.
http://www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2004/09/23/News/Kerrys.Wartime.Record.Influences.Vietnamese.Voters-1425086.shtml?norewrite200605242205&sourcedomain=www.michigandaily.com
It's a good thing they aren't nearby; I've made a vow to start eating as many donuts as I want when I turn 75 :-)
It's the politicians who just don't have the guts to do what needs to be done, or should be done. I'm pretty sick of all of them these days.
And I just hope we never add Iraq to that list because if the Democrats get in power, I'm afraid we'll leave that country and it will turn ugly.
They are welllllll worth the drive. I've even seen Auburn cops in there and no one knows their donuts like Auburn cops.
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