Who Are You? On Being An American in America

It was once a matter of some pride to declare one's citizenship. In fact, it was the hope and dream of nearly every immigrant coming to this country to become an American citizen. Many would do everything they could to learn about their new home. They would even try to pick up every bit of English they could, either before leaving the "Old Country" or on the ship over. Of course, those were the days when America was seen as a "melting pot"; where we left our past behind and adopted the traditions, values, and, of course, the language of the place which many called the "Land of Second Chances".

Of course, those days seem condemned to another time as distant as Colonial America, the Old West, or the Roaring Twenties. Today we've become a land of "Multiculturalism" where immigrants are encouraged (even expected) to bring their religion, values and traditions, prejudices, hatreds, and languages with them.

It now commonplace to go into any store like a Wal-Mart or Meijer's at certain times and barely hear any English at all. Of course, it's just as common to see individuals walking around in their native dress. Nearly every grocery store now caters to their dietary demands, often while sacrificing space to more traditional foods.

But perhaps in some ways this is to be expected every time you have a large influx of immigrants, however, never (or if so, very rarely) has grocers pushed aside more popular items in favor of someone else's. What's worse is the fact that an increasingly number immigrant communities are demanding that stores, restaurants, and grocery stores stop carrying certain items out of their religious requirements. In other words, if they can't have it, you won't have it either.

We're starting to see demands that stores stop carrying liquor, tobacco, or pork products because it "offends" them. At the same time, there is a slow but growing demand that women stop wearing certain attire or going to certain public places---especially unescorted---for the same reason. Why is that? I am something of a amateur historian. I'm pretty well versed in most cultures, religions, and so forth. Never have I read or heard of any group in the US demanding that others follow their traditions. Never, and yet it appears to be here.

I have, however, often heard of various groups going to other countries and being told that they have to conform to the laws and values of the native population (including learning the native language). In fact, that's quite common. They usually call it an invasion. Speaking of laws, since when does an immigrant population go to another country and demand that their laws be accept along side or in lieu of the host country's? But, in Europe that's exactly what has happened in numerous places such as the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, and Holland. It's also starting to show up in America with many on the Left actually supporting it, which, to be perfectly honest, I find to be both amusing and at the same time, rather naive. Why you ask?

Well, those on the Left who seem to support these infringements on our society in the name of solidarity or whatever would actually find themselves in a rather difficult (at best) position should their efforts succeed. For instance, take the gay community in this country. Many support the Muslim community in this country, which is perfectly fine. However, they also support the extremists within the Muslim community, which is the most active and vocal.

It is this a particularly virulent strain which is deeply opposed to everything about gays. In the Middle East, they routinely throw gays off rooftops, impale them, burn them at the stake, and all sorts of other nasty means of torture and murder of both gay men and lesbian women (bisexuals included). Meanwhile, women who've been raped are the ones punished and more often than not themselves murdered for committing the "crime" of being raped. At worse, the rapist may be expected to "marry" the individual he violently raped. Doesn't that bring up images of marital bliss?

Women, to them, are no better than second class citizens. They don't believe women should drive, vote, or have any other commonly accepted rights. That includes the ability to speak freely or openly, to dress as they please, to drink, smoke, or go anywhere they want when they want. Girls, as young as 9 years old, are sometimes made to marry men decades older then themselves. Why? Religious tradition. As an aside, this tradition also includes sexual relations with young boys too. But should we allow that "tradition", which is a form of pedophilia, to be practiced in this country? Not to do so could be seen as impinging on their 1st Amendment rights.

Want a career ladies? Forget it. Women aren't even supposed to attend school beyond an elementary level. Those who do often run the risk of being publicly beaten, scared, or even having acid thrown on their faces. Meanwhile, those who dare teach these young girls are beaten or even murdered while their school books are burned, sometimes along with the schools. Can you imagine what could happen if this strain should become the dominant force in this country the way it has elsewhere? Is that what "feminist" in this country want? Is any of this what the average American woman wants?

However, I want to make clear that this isn't all or even majority of Islam. Many have adopted much of Western Civilization, including full and equal rights for women, tolerance for homosexuality, and other standards, which is as it should be. However, these are the moderates who tend to be quiet and stay in the background. The few who support this backwards 9th century way of thinking, are also the ones most engaged in terrorism throughout the world, and they tend to be the most vocal and activist of the groups in the West.

While I generally don't care what any group says, does or believes, I draw the line at being told that I or anyone else has to comply lest they become "offended". I've never been known for kowtowing to any person, group, belief, or ideology. Nevertheless, no one should ever be forced to conform to another's traditions, values (including religious) or anything else. If someone wants to voluntarily and willingly conform adapt, or adopt some belief system, political ideology, or cultural traditions, that's their business. But to be compelled, bullied, or threaten into it, then there's a critical issue that we as nation need to address.

Personally, I have literally no problems with someone's race, sexual orientation, ethnic group, religion, or whatever. Frankly, I don't need to know nor do I really care. If they treat me and mine with respect and courtesy, then I'll do the same. I don't think I'm unique in that regard. I think most, perhaps the overwhelming majority, of people in this country feel the same way. However, to be told that we have restrict what we're doing, wearing, saying eating, or coerced into removing historical objects and symbols in order to make someone else feel better about themselves else be called a "bigot" or a "racist", I don't think so (not that name calling ever meant anything to me anyway). This is especially true when these restrictions work one way.

To be told that I can't go to the grocery and buy something only to find that it's been discontinued because someone or some group complained about it, then we have a problem. To be told by my waiter at a restaurant that I can't order a BLT and beer because they've been removed from the menu to avoid "offending" some group, there is going to be a problem. To be told I can't watch a certain TV show on a cable or satellite channel that I'm paying for because someone else "disapproves" of it, then we have a problem. If they don't like the show, then switch the channel. There are literally hundreds of other choices for them to pick from.

When I try to call some business I need to speak with and being told that I have to press "1" for English, they're likely to hear some words in English they weren't expecting. In fact, I flat out refuse to press anything. The call will be ran through automatically if you do nothing anyway! If someone wants to speak with someone in their native language, then let them press some number...or go to where that language is spoken. I don't care which.

To be told that there are 24 or 57 or whatever genders and I have to play along or I get sanctioned somehow, then we've got a problem. It's just like having to worry about using the proper pronoun when speaking to someone so you don't hurt their feelings (or worse, get fined in some places), then there's going to be a problem. The last time I worried about using the proper pronoun I was in the 4th grade (I've learned a few adjectives since then by the way).

When some individual or group tells my wife, sister, mother, niece, or whomever that they disapprove of what they're wearing or doing because it "offends" them, we're going to have words. When someone tells me that some Y chromosome carrying dude who has "chosen" to be a female is going into the restroom with my wife, my mother, or any of the other naturally born females in my family or who are friends, there is a very serious problem and I'm absolutely positive that I'm not the only one who feels the same way.

On a related issue, when people choose to come to this country, great. We, as Americans, welcome them with open arms, especially if they're bring some badly needed skill with them. However, all we ask is that they do so legally; that they respect our laws and do it the right way. It would be demanded of us if we wanted to immigrate to their native country right? Those who seek to enter this country illegally are first and foremost showing their contempt for our national sovereignty and to our laws.

Secondly, they are thumbing their noses at all those who are trying to come here the right way; the legal way. Think of it this way. You've been standing in line for hours to see a movie you've been waiting to see for weeks. Then a bunch of people come along and cut in line way ahead of you. Then get to go in without having to pay for a thing, while you have to pay full price, assuming they don't run out of tickets and tell you they're sold out and you'll have to come back tomorrow...or next week.

Then, after having to wait a few hours longer than you would have, you find out that these individuals got free drinks, snacks, and preferred seating. Worse yet, you're told that you have to pay a portion of their tickets, drinks, and everything else they get. Sound fair to you? But wait, there's more. Since they don't speak English (even though you took the time to at least learn some), the film will be shown in their native language. If you're lucky, you may get subtitles. Maybe.

Well, that's a pretty good example of how our current immigration system works, or at least how the Left would like to work. Meanwhile, they apply the same idea to these so-called "sanctuary" states and cities, then have the audacity to demand more federal funding to pay for the problems they've created. It doesn't seem exactly fair to me, especially when they aid these individuals with the ways and means to spread throughout the country, making them more difficult to apprehend. But then that's the idea isn't it? When you complain or speak out they call you a "xenophobe" or some other name they'd likely have to go look up to understand the meaning of.

Of course, we're not even touching on the consequences of these individuals coming into the country not just illegally, but without ever having been inoculated against diseases that we had eliminated from this country like TB, measles, whooping cough, mumps, and a whole range of other highly contagious diseases. The result could be catastrophic for this country. Perhaps causing thousands of preventable deaths. Who should be held responsible then?

Meanwhile, liberal churches and religious groups act as if they're exempt from our laws by encouraging, aiding, and protecting these individuals; showing them how to cheat taxpayers out of money by manipulating the system. Sleazy business owners take advantage of them by working them in substandard conditions for next to nothing. So, who's the real criminal here? The ones who knowingly broke the law or those who exploit them for god or profit?

America used to be a country where people came to shed their past; to start over. They were proud to become Americans. People were free to live out their lives, so long as they didn't try to impose their religions, values or hatred on others. We valued the individual, but we were always willing to offer a helping hand, but don't expect others to do it for you; don't expect to be given something for nothing. No one owes you anything.

We were created as a nation of laws, and we expect others to follow those same laws, regardless of origin, faith, income bracket or elected office. Period. There was and remains no room for competing legal systems. While people spoke the tongue of their past, often in private or within their communities, they strove to learn and speak the language of their adopted home---English.

A common language is the fabric which weaves a single nation. But those days appear to be fading. In its place are those who are planting the seeds to create a multicultural and divided nation; a nation with different values, traditions, languages, and even laws. Others who've experienced this have quickly fallen; splintered into dozens of separate and unique pieces; the ancient Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, not to mention Austro-Hungary, Spanish, French or British empires. Even as recently as Yugoslavia, the USSR, or Czechoslovakia in the 1980's and 90's. Do not expect that we will not share their fate if we continue along the same path.