Posted on 07/13/2002 8:23:34 AM PDT by Donna Lee Nardo
Hey Freepers! Below is from a circulating e-mail. It is terrific! Perhaps a Freeper wrote the editorial? I searched FR and I didn't find it posted -- so I am posting it. And even if it was posted previously, more people are bound to read it for the first time now, I hope.
From the circulating e-mail: "After hearing that the state of Florida changed its opinion and let a Muslim woman have her picture on her drivers license with her face covered, I believe this is even more appropriate. Read on, please!
This is an Editorial written by an American citizen, published in a Tampa newspaper. He did quite a job; didn't he?
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 composed 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 multi- cultural 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, 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 to take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.
I'm not trying to start a flame-war here, but I am confused by your statement. Are you suggesting the author of the editorial should have denied himself his right to express himself, as he sees fit, to appease your opinion?
IMHO the editorial was a comdemnation of the "Political Correctness" which your statement seems to worship. I would like to ask you to clarify your opinion a little so there can be no misunderstanding... Do you really believe this country was founded by men of no religious character? Or men who didn't want God to have any influence over their lives?
Again, not meant to be a flame, but please help me understand what is your real complaint?
P.S.: Will be gone for an hour or so... Thanks in advance for the reply (if you see fit).
I could not agree more!
Isn't it odd that there are only a few groups that cannot/refuse to assimilate into our culture? You are free to speak the language of your former homeland at home and with friends, but don't make me have to find the English instructions on packages and assembly manuals, push extra buttons on bank machines, or have to figure out what "piso mojado" means before I do a pratfall, just because I am on the wrong side of the "wet floor" warning sign! Give 'em free Berlitz phrase books, just like we would have to do if we decided to visit or live in South American, Germany or Russia (to name a few). Isn't it odd, that some people from countries with languages fairly similar to English are unable/unwilling to learn English, but someone from Southeast Asia, where the languages are as alien as something from a different planet, both in alphabet and language, can learn English to a functional level? And their children and grandchildren will probably speak better English than you or I. But not some groups. If I were of these groups, I would be ashamed that my people would be perceived as not intelligent enough to do what others, with bigger hurdles, achieve routinely.
Why is it, that some groups, in an attempt to excape their thrid world origins, insist on bringing the third world with them, and living in squalor? Why do they effectively destroy neighborhoods with their presence?
Please don't waste our time telling us that these stories are anecdotal, as the liberals will try to do. Drive into the inner city, any inner city, and the truth will be revealed.
I am mad as hell, and I am not taking it anymore!!!
Yepper. Take political correctness, for example. It's based on the "tolerance" of all sin.
Those who are Biblically illiterate fell for it right away, because their reward was immediate self gradification.
The concern for others freedoms to disagree was immediately null and void.
Love thy neighbor became love theyself.
The ten commandments became "oppressive", because they weren't self serving enough.
Our nation was once one nation under God, but due to PC doctrine, our house divided may not stand.
When welfare was first created, they refered to it as "relief." People were asked to do those jobs to at least earn their government checks.
Then, the relief collectors began to claim it was "too degrading", and the government decided to give away money for free rather than ask those who collected to do jobs they felt were "benieth them."
Of course, neither will happen with our current crop of sleazebag politicians.
As we've learned from the Clinton regime, character and morality, the concept of a right and wrong, does matter.
"Here was a man...a man who was born in a small village, the son of a peasant woman. He grew up in another small village. Until He reached the age of thirty, He worked as a carpenter; then, for three years, He was a travelling minister. But He never travelled more than two hundred miles from where He was born, and where He did go, He usually walked. He never held political office, He never wrote a book, He never bought a home, He never had a family, He never went to college, and He never set foot inside a big city, yet...here was a man.
Here was a man...though He never did one of those things that you usually associate with greatness, He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this World, except through the Divine Purpose that brought Him to this World.
While He was still a young man, the Tide of Popular Opinion turned against Him. Most of His FRiends ran away...one of them denied Him, one of them betrayed Him and turned Him over to his Enemies. Then, He went through the mockery of a Trial and was nailed to a Roman Cross between two thieves. And even while He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had in this World, and that was His robe, His Purple Robe. When He was dead, He was taken down from the cross and laid in a borrowed grave, provided by a compassionate FRiend.
More than Nineteen Centuries have come and gone, and today He's the Centerpiece of the Human Race, Our Leader, and the Column to Human Destiny. And I think I'm well within the mark when I say that All of the Armies that Ever Marched, All of the Navies that Ever Sailed, All of the Legislative Bodies that Ever Sat, and All of the Kings that Ever Reigned...All of Them Put Together have not affected the Life of Man on this Earth so Powerfully as that One Solitary Life...
Here was a man."
FReegards...MUD
Until the end of his life, Jefferson would have been a Christian. Even in the end, he "held the teachings of Jesus Christ to be divine" and thus considered himself a Christian on that basis. Since his endorsement did not enclude the writings of the apostles he was not what I would consider a fundamentalist, but neither was he the man that radical secularists would make him out to be.
Let's face it: immigrants frequently do work that many Americans aren't willing to do. How many toilets are you willing to clean for Motel 6?
Implying that we do not have home grown uneducated lower class citizens to do these menial jobs. Then you make the following statement:
Also, considering the number of young people pouring out of our ridiculous government schools with barely an ability to read, ..
This last statement resolves the previously cited condition. In other words, not to worry, we produce our own underclass at a respectable rate, thank you ;-)
There's somethin' happenin' here...it ain't Right...Vile Left, they Rule by Fear!!
ATF men in a tank over there, slaughterin' kids whilst they knelt in prayer!!
It's high time we INDICT T-Mac...PUNK Dem's Clown!!
DNC Chairman...who killed Ron Brown?!!
There's bad men doin' Wrong...They'll win The Fight, unless the Right is Strong!!
Bold people must speak OUR minds...we're gettin' too much resistance from OUR side!!
It's time we ROUT Lib'rals, TRASH DemClowns!!
High time fer Justice to now Rebound!!
Clinton feels he can't be beat...Med'yuh Poltroons, they're Effete!!
Forgivin' wrongs, Press parrots Slick's LIES!! Most of them say, "Slick Willie's OUR GUY!!"
It's time we STOP DemRATS...Stop DemClowns!!
Big Guv'ment's shakin' OUR Country down!!
Rev-o-lutions start slow...but Limbaugh's Legions shall grow!!
Evil Wins when the Good are afraid!! Step outta line...the time's come fer Right to hold sway!!
We shall INDICT T-Mac...Stop Left's Clown!!
All ya good FReepers, come help us out!!
We gotta STOP Clinton...Crush Slick's Crown!!
Ev'rybody help what's goin' down!!
We're gonna STOP Lib'rals...STOP DemClowns!!
Destroy Lib'ralism...let's do it NOW!!
FReegards...MUD
Don't we though?! Eliminate the Federal Department of Education over a 5-year "Devolvement of Power & Responsibility to the States and Localities" process and we'll have done more for "Public Education" than the DOE has done in over a quarter-century!!
FReegards...MUD
I remember reading an essay years ago that dealt with the Christ principle in thought patterns. I believe the author was Rudolph Steiner, and I believe the title was similiar to 'The Christ Figure in Historical Perspective' or thereabouts. The essay was in the German original.
Steiner said, and I'm paraphrasing and summarizing, that analogous to the centrality of the Holy Land in the geographical context (at that time of Christ's birth), was the centrality of the Christ principle in the philosophical context. Regardless of the origin or direction of your philosophical development, you would at some point encounter and have to deal with the Christ principle.
From the little I've read of Steiner, his thinking seems to have been based on aristotelian logic, and, the few of his writings I've read weren't particularly religious.
I'm not a proponent of Steiner, and not necessarily religous, although god-fearing, but I always remember this essay when I see sentances such as yours above with the word 'annoying' in it. It's supposed to be 'annoying', and I say that in a positive sense, because you are a person who obviously wants to think through his/her beliefs. The power and, in my opinion, the beauty of the Christ principle, is that at some point, at some time, as a critically thinking person you're going to have to deal with it.
longjack
I didn't look under alternate titles, I'm sure there are few more postings. I guess some people need to learn to use the search engines.
I'd rather clean a toilet than live in one.
The widespread notion that the founding fathers were not religious and Christian is pure bunk revisionist history.
While I intend to post my treatise and examination of this issue, along with my husbands work titled 'Bibles & Gunpowder: The foundations of the American Revolution' (he was the keynote speaker at the SC Freepers Rally last year on this topic) I just want to weigh in on the question with some interesting quotes:
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here." - Patrick Henry
Someone made the statement inan arlier post that implied that Thomas Jefferson was not a Christian; this is the result of more historical bunk - especially when Jefferson himself identified himself as a Christian:
"A more beautiful or precious morsel of ethics I have never seen; it is a
document in proof that I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of
the doctrines of Jesus, very different from the Platonists, who call me
infidel and themselves Christians and preachers of the gospel, while they
draw all their characteristic dogmas from what its Author never said nor
saw." --Thomas Jefferson to Charles Thompson, 1816.
Jefferson made a distinction between organized church and religion and made it clear which religion was the basis for a nation of free individuals and true progress:
"The Christian religion, when divested of the rags in which they [the
clergy] have enveloped it, and brought to the original purity and simplicity
of it's benevolent institutor, is a religion of all others most friendly to
liberty, science, and the freest expansion of the human mind." --Thomas
Jefferson to Moses Robinson, 1801.
I wish I had more time to elaborate - but the baby is crying and I have to run....
bye ya'll!
Katherine Jenerette
Freeper Profile Link
www.jenerette.com
Parting Question: If either Atheists, Wiccans, Hindus or Muslims had been the religions and belief structures of the founding fathers would we have inherited the concepts of individual self government, freedom and rights that we have in our Constitution and the Bill of rights?
In truth - the foundation of legitimacy for our nation of individual rights is based clearly on both Judeao-Chritisan belief structures and principles. If the revisionists and the Neo Tolerant American revolutionaries (read: anti American) can succeed in the separation of the Christian religion(different from church) from our constitutional documents and other American ideals of rights and self determination - this republic will fall...
This should be the deal:
Someone who wants to immigrate to America, must first purchase their American citizenship from a worthless American citizen.
Then those people who sold their American citizenship are deported.
Simple.
Like buying into a yacht club or condo.
No overcrowding.
No problem.
Only if you belong to the Cult of The Unknown Comic. [: )
Like I said, people on welfare who refuse to clean your toilet could, in my plan, sell their citizenship to qualified foreigners.
What welfare recipient would not sell his citizenship for, say, $100,000 and probably more?
Someone who so sold his right to be a U.S. Citizen can then take his hundred grand to some third world country where he can buy his way in.
So if you want to import people to make up for the lazy Americans, my plan would eliminate the overcrowding and poverty that our current system abets.
LOL, the irony is if we adopt such a plan, the price of buying citizenship would actually go up, because America would then be an even more desireable place to live.
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