We don’t tend to think about it much, but most of those who
came here to settle were misfits and exiles. They were people who didn’t fit into
society any longer. They came to escape the restrictions their native country
had placed on them. For many, they were locked into an economic and social
caste system irrespective of their intelligence, ability, or motivation.
Many were just one slippery step from debtor’s prison. Others
had already fell victim to the harsh judicial system, often for petty crimes committed
in the name of survival. The lucky one’s found themselves “transported”. This
was a way to be rid of petty criminals, social deviants, and malcontents while emptying
out their overcrowded prisons and relieving a marginal social safety net based
largely on charity. They were typically
sent abroad as “indentured servants” to work off their sentences in places
which were often difficult and dangerous (Georgia and the swamplands of South
Carolina were often a key destinations).
Meanwhile, others simply wanted to chance to start life over
again and a chance to show the world (and themselves) what they could do if
given the opportunity, and so they came by the tens of thousands. Many bore the same title of “indentured servant” as the
felons, though under slightly better circumstances in most cases.
A surprisingly large segment of immigrants also came to
avoid religious persecution. It was commonplace for each country to have an official
religion, often headed by a monarch, to
which everyone was expected to participate, if not in person, then financially.
It wasn’t uncommon for so-called “dissenters” to find themselves harassed by
authorities, fined, imprisoned, or stripped of everything they owned in order
to pay the mandatory tithes. This new country demanded none of that. There
would be no state mandated religion. It’s
easy to understand why, to believers, this was seen as the “promised land”.
Not much has really changed in all those centuries since the
first Europeans set foot on this continent. We still attract the world’s
misfits, exiles, and those looking to start over. America is a different sort
of country. It is not a nation which evolved organically over time like Europe
or Asia. We came about in less than a blink of an eye in terms of history. We
were created as an experiment, born out of a sense of justice, fair play, and
individual sovereignty.
In lieu of having a
long history to shape our nation, ours was based a heritage of ideas stemming from
the Enlightenment, Judeo-Christian morals, and the philosophies of the Near
East, Ancient Greece and Rome. Even our
government was modelled on the Roman Republic. All of which is nicely summed up
in our traditional national motto---"E pluribus Unum” (“Out of Many, One”)
along with our official national motto, “In God We Trust”, which reflects the desire
of many to come here to seeking their religious freedom.
Marvelous words expressing the aim of America to welcome all
those seeking to be free, but something has changed since those words were
pinned in 1883. America was conceived of as a welcoming melting pot, where all
would leave behind the worthless hatreds and prejudices from wherever they came.
Here they would become a new people---“Americans”--- sharing a common language with
a shared set of values, laws, and uniquely American traditions.
Somewhere along the way something changed. We no longer concerned
ourselves with those who come here in defiance of our laws. We stopped being
proud to be Americans. Today, we have some 13+ million illegals living here
with millions using taxpayer based social services they never paid for. They have
no interest in adopting our language, laws, traditions or values. Worse, we
have politicians, cities and groups which are fine with that. What happened?
According to a U.S. government budget committee report on
the costs of illegal immigrants to taxpayers dated January 11, 2024, 69% of
illegal immigrants don’t have an education beyond high school (compared to 35%
of Americans) which impacts their work skills and employability. Each individual
cost taxpayers approximately $68,000 each over their lifetime or about $42
billion. In addition, the children of
illegal immigrates (including children born in the U.S. of parents here illegally)
received roughly $68.1 billion dollars (as of 2019) in taxpayers funded
services. Taxpayers also picked emergency care and other medical costs to the
tune of $7 billion dollars annually.
Even certain religious institutions blatantly choose to ignore
immigrations laws, believing that somehow they are exempt from following the
law, and going as far as not just encouraging them to migrate, but providing
them with shelter, housing, job contacts, and even how to manipulate the system
to access taxpayer based services. Of course, these immigrants fill pews and
church coffers, as well as improve their political clout.
We became fixated on the “right” of these individuals to enter our country undeterred
while other nations, ever anxious to rid themselves of hungry mouths they can’t
afford thanks to antiquated societal norms, openly proclaim that we had no
legal right to protect and secure our border.
Somehow, our right of national sovereignty had come under
attack while their sovereignty remained securely intact. Immigrants now come,
not to be Americans, but to transplant their country, language, values, traditions,
and all! Some intend to even transplant their religious values despite not
being compatible with ours. We’re the ones expected to conform and adopt, not
the immigrant. What went wrong?
Our English language
is treated as unimportant. The government now caters to “diversity” instead of
promoting emersion. Immigrants view the taxpayer funded social security net as
an entitlement just for being here. They regularly send money home to support
their families and community, which is perfectly fine. But why do they refuse
to apply for work permits and pay their fair share of taxes to the country which
makes it all possible?
We were increasingly taught to be ashamed of our collective
history. Entire chapters of our history have become distorted and rewritten.
Critical thinking skills have been replaced, and with it, the quality of
education. Discipline is now seen as a form of suppression. In colleges and
universities, students aren’t expected to take responsibility for the debts
they willingly incurred despite many earning majors where there is no demand in
the job market.
Even the Pledge of Allegiance is no longer publicly acceptable.
Neither are displays of the American flag (which is now considered a “trigger object”).
Statues and monuments deemed “offensive”
by a select few are defaced, vandalized, and removed. Individuals with criminal histories are portrayed
as heroes while law enforcement is viewed with contempt.
While America has always welcomed various religions, how do
we deal with a religion which wants to impose its own religious laws on
society, going so far as verbal and physically attacking people, blocking
sidewalks and traffic while they “pray”? They become incensed at criticism of
their faith but encourage attacks on other religions. In Europe, this has proven
to be a disaster as the governments continually cave to their demands while
punishing the victims.
This is all part of a new narrative being preached throughout
America---the “Gospel of Political Correctness” as proclaimed by so-called “woke”
Millennials and Gen Z. To contradict the gospel in any way is regarded as blasphemy
or heresy, often resulting in being “canceled”
(sounds like a euphemism used by the Gestapo or KGB). The good news, however,
is that you’re freely entitled to their opinion at any time, whether you want
it or not.
How does a nation founded on freedom of speech, religion,
and association cope with this? How does a nation protect its national security
when our borders are ignored? How do we
address the issue of hyphenated loyalties, a declining education system, no
common language, or an agreed upon history survive? Historically, nations similar
to this have become ungovernable and
ultimately imploded. No nation can be pulled in multiple directions and hold in
the long run (I’m reminded of Yugoslavia,
the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as well as the Ancient Roman Republic).
I couldn’t have said it better Teddy. Well done. The
question which needs to be addressed is
whether we are going to heed Roosevelt’s word, spoken some 110 years ago or are
we going to go the way of the Yugoslavia past or current Europe? America has
always been a country of second chances for those with nowhere else to go. But
for us, here and now, there’s no place for us to go. There’s no one coming to
our rescue. Republics rarely, if ever, get second chances.
Thank you for reading
"Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant
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article. Thank you.
“Americanism” by
Theodore Roosevelt (1915)
Theodore Roosevelt: No Room in This Country for Hyphenated Americans
House Judicial Subcommittee Report: The Costs of IllegalImmigration to Taxpayers
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