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Fri 4 Jul, 2003 11:47 pm
This says it all!
After hearing that the state of Florida changed its opinion and let a Muslim woman have her picture on her driver's license with her face covered this is an editorial written by an American citizen, published in a Tampa newspaper. He did quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!
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 made up 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 multicultural 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, Portuguese, 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 take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.
Misti, why do you torture yourself with this sort of nonsense?
I'm glad that person is wrong. Or I would indeed move. I do not believe in God, love multilingual cultures, and am happy that America is not as intolerant and ignorant as the writer of that bit. I am also happy for the right to dissent from such a forceful opinion that attempts to speak for me.
I likley stand for everything that that person doesn't. And I'm happy that America is not entirely comprised of such individuals.
he has one or two good points, he just doesn't know how to make them
it amuses me how the words "America" and "American" are used. are we also talking about central and south america? canada too? of course not... we're talking about the united statesians who live in north america
It's just a name VL.
Qualifiers:
I think the muslim woman who dis not want to unviel for a liscense was wrong. If her personal beliefs conflict with the security measures needed to have safe roads she shouldn't drive.
I don't get angry about it or anything, she can stay but I think the courts were right.
A also support anyone who wants to belive in God, I don't and am happy that the nation was founded with religion being separate. I dislike that the author wishes to force the religion issue. People are just as free to love a god as they are to hate the concept.
he says
"Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants."
two sentences later
"This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity."
he's obviously confused about what "America" is
I'm an American engineer working in Saudi Arabia. The western community here is continually told we must do nothing to offend the Saudis. We can't wear crosses or be seen with Bibles. Blessing our food in public is forbidden. Women can't show their elbows in public. We couldn't have our annual 4th of July celebration at the Consulate this year because it might offend them. And the list goes on and on.
Please forgive me, but I don't have too much empathy for the Muslim woman in Florida who wanted the privledge of a driver's license.
Jim I have no empathy at all for the Muslim woman in that story, or the Saudis so enthralled by their religion that they would care so much about what you do.
But as an American I have heard the "you are in my country, do as I say or I'll leave" comment more than once. Almost every time the speaker had an inordinate belief that what he thought represented the opinion and will of the nation. So every now and then a guy would get mad, that I was speaking English with my brother in a mall and say that I ought to speak Portuguese (which I did, fluetly, but not with my brother) or leave "his country".
I think the Muslim woman is wrong, the photo is for the purpose of identification, a veil tends to get in the way.
Nobody is preventing (or demanding of her) her to wear a veil, but if she wants to drive she'll have to have a picture of her face taken.
I just disagree that it translates into America being a Christian country, where respect for anyone's god is a prerequisite. His America is not my America.
But you make a good point in that we are far more tolerant of religious diversity than is Saudi Arabia and ilk. We gotta keep it up, not by allowing a woman to take a driver's license photo with a veil but by not reciprocating religious intolerance by demanding a "respect my god or leave" basis for tenure in our country.
The overall Arab community could indeed be called mentally rigid and mono-cultural. Where I live, they tend to think of Westerners as materialist heathens. They don't absorb much of the West except our cars and cell phones. The rest is above them -- our science, our rational enlightenment, our openness to absorb elements from other cultures.
To give an example: we'll try out typical Arab meals (fresh mint tea, couscous...), but they won't ever try to imitate our continental kitchen...ever. They are just part of an old, religious world that sees the other world as wrong.
didn't they discover that this woman was a fugitve from michigan who was using islam as a way to disguise her id??...if so, she's not exactly a roqet scientist>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Well...
I'm a citizen of the United States of America (by birth, not by choice)
I live on the continent of North America.
So I guess that makes me an American. But that doesn't make the author of the quoted piece right. I mean he's Right, but he's not corrrect, by jingo!
One Nation Under God...? Didn't we blow away a theocracy in Afghanistan recently?
While it is a moot point, having one's drivers license include a photograph has nothing to do with one's right to drive. The photograph is quite simply a means to assist various law enforcement agencies as well as other establishments of society. To imply that anyone can or should be denied licensure to operating an automobile for not providing an accurate self-photograph is a bit over the top. We continue to abdicate our individual rights "for the good of society" while seldom questioning the rights of that same society. It is probably not too far off in the future where some form of ID will be embedded in our body at birth. Am I the only one that sees the Orwellian state control of our lives encroaching on our freedom?
I am sickened by the constant whining song of the hateful about immigrants. Who upon this continent are not immigrants? Even the Amerinds came here at a point in time which can be established with a certain degree of accuracy. This sort of nasty "I'm an American, you're not" crap has been around since the Know-Nothings of the 1850's at least . . . every "outsider" is shunned, until such time as they, or their offspring, are sufficiently well integrated so as to be invited in their turn, to despise the "unAmerican" immigrant . . .
It stinks.
sultaana freeman...finds islam a convenient faith...
what a piece of work
It was not so many years ago the driver's license had no photo on it at all. I think there is too much being made over this. And the love it or leave it mentality just pisses me off. If they don't want to live in the same country with people like myself it's up to them to leave.
I'm with edgar on this one. Why aren't more Americans upset about the Patriot Act that actually takes away some of our freedoms? Driver's license? Bah, humbug, who the ***k cares? . c.i.
If I remember correctly, the woman in question was born in the United States and is a recent convert to Islam. Apparently she's a blond.
Ceili
The whole thing is a paradox meant to leave very few fence sitters. Both sides are wrong but the wrongest is the author. Many excellent posts already covering most of the points. Get government out of peoples lives but give me security - hard choices. The unPatriotic, unAmerican diatribe is baseless and sickening.
I cannot comment on the impact of immigration in the USA but perhaps there are parralels in the UK.
We have legal immigrants from all over the world. They work, earn their wages, pay tax and for the most part obey the law. They have kids and thus raise families. Most of them accept they have to integrate and speak English if they are to survive. We have Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Afro Carribeans and so on. They are able to retain there own culture but they can't remain aloof from British culture. In fact 3rd generation immigrants and onwards are very much part of British society and are accepted by the vast majority of whites. They have English accents, use the same stores, TV stations, drive the same cars and drink in the same pubs, have equal opportunities. Mixed race relationships/marriage are quite common. It's not a perfect society but it's not bad.
Our main problem are the illegals, they come in from Eastern Europe and the Middle East and claim asylum. The social services are stretched in trying to support them and it's the indiginous population that pays the bills thru taxes. Next you hear complaints that the aid being offered to them is not good enough. They want more and they want bigger, as if we are some kind of charity.
I have no problem with having a multi cultural society but incomers have to meet us at least half way, make the effort and be thankfull that we try to help them. If they aren't buying, they can always leave the store.
Seems like this woman has done America an excellent service
just by bringing this topic up for discussion all over the country.
If she does nothing else with her life from now on, her mere
presence has stimulated a great diversity of thinking.
Thought. People trying to think.
Americans trying to *think* for themselves, on their own!
My God, what a blessing that she is here!
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PS -- Alaska does not require a photo on a drivers license.
Who are we to tell the state of Florida what to do?
Is a state that makes its own decisions it's own way un-American?
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