Hot Topics in our Country

[eliminator]

Since this is in the news daily I though this was appropriate for our Forum.

We are very fortuniate to have the opportunity to own a Cobra. We can also do with it pretty much what we want to and when we want to (within the law of course). This is pretty much the case with almost anything we do, guess you could say this is included in the Freedom and the Rights we enjoy in the USA. So it really gets to me that people from ouside the USA can come here and enjoy our Freedom and Rights then little by little create changes in culture and traditions to suite them, and we sit back as a country and let it happen.

This is an Editorial sent to me that sums it all up!!

Will we still be the Country of choice and still be America if we
continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other
countries that came to live in America because it is the Country of
Choice??????
>>
Think about it!
>>
>>All we have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS?
>>
>>
>>I celebrate Christmas...........but because it isn't celebrated by
>>everyone..............we can no longer say Merry Christmas. Now it has
>>to be Season's Greetings.
>>
>>It's not Christmas vacation, it's Winter Break. Isn't it amazing how
>>this winter break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday?
>>
>>We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend
>>anyone, that I am now being offended. But it seems that no one has a
>>problem with that.
>>This says it all!
>>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.............
>>f ounded 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.>>
>>

[wlewis]

Amen! Wish I could have stated it so eloquently!

[ericeckhoff]

Thanks Rick !

God Bless America !

[Slither]

Yah Rick, this is well put. This whole notion of multiculturalism is nothing more than the deification of behavior, and every radical behavior group is going to jump on the bandwagon for it. There is nothing wrong with celebrating one's roots and culture, but when the behavior associated with culture begins to rule... where behavior is placed above personal dignity... then we have a problem. This confusion/subterfuge is a major driving force in the slide that is described in your post.

That said, there are still groups that carry the burden and sting of prejudice against them. I think that this is part of what motivates this movement, and is part of what precipitated this movement in the first place (though, not all of the groups involved suffer prejudice... i.e. standing against illegal or immoral behavior is not prejudice). While not all of the involved groups are socially or morally acceptable, some groups have a legitimate concern and they might abandon their cause if prejudice were eradicated.

Another big part of this is the attack on the Church. Your post touches on this several times as it alludes to God being chased from the public square. One of the acceptable forms of bigotry is that against the Christians!

Your post brings up some great points...

Wow, this is some heavy stuff!

[Aggressor]

Pass these comments to everyone you know and let them understand with no uncertainty that there is a change in the wind. I am deeply offended as are most Americans by subcultures existing within the bounds of our cultural tolerance that make no effort to adapt to our national standards and heritage. To compound the error we are "Enablers". Misguided attempts at political correctness by inept lawmakers make us second-class citizens in our own country. Spanish is not our national language. Nor is French, Swedish, German, or Portuguese. There is no precedent to force school systems to teach any mandatory language other than English within our borders. I take offense at being asked what language I want for my MAC machine transactions. This is America - We deal in transactional American English- period. Our immigrant families all changed with great rapidity to fit into this American culture. They wanted to join - to be an American. They did not give up their individual family/national identities, but they did make every effort to fit in as part of the American "melting pot". This was a source of our greatness as a unified nation. It's time for action- to do everything that we can to stop coddling and enabling minority subcultures. Citizenship, rights, and acceptance have to be earned. This effort must be bourne of the current subcultures. Our families all paid the price and future immigrants must also shoulder similar cultural change.
-Geary

[juanone]

Guys: At the risk of being misinterpreted, there is a greater depth to the problems with, as you guys call it, multiuculturalism, than what is described here in your comments.

I know that this is a Cobra Forum and not a political forum but since you brought it up here is my response. I was born outside of the United States, and yes, I am proud to be here in the US and served proudly in the military for over 9 years, however, some of the comments some of you are making about the "subcultures" are perhaps somewhat driven by fear and ignorance and it offends those of us who have come to the US from our native countries in search of the same things that all of our ancestors that came long, long, long, long before us, with our cultural baggage in tow. Languages, myths and customs all the same. All we need to do is read the following:

"The wimpy Church fathers contented themselves with just writing against and occasionally excommunicating such heretics as the Gnostics. The decision to pursue this philosophical approach stemmed largely from unfavorable odds. Even after assimilating Rome, there weren't enough good, solid Christians in the power base to make the use of force an attractive option. By the 12th century, this had changed, and the Church suddenly realized the sword is actually a lot mightier than the pen.
The first implementations of this policy were the Crusades, which involved sending armies out to forcibly convert those who didn't agree with the Pope (specifically the Muslims inhabiting the Holy Lands). The first Crusade went really well, but subsequent efforts to recapture the magic were miserable failures.
After a series of embarrassing setbacks, the Church turned its attention inward, busying itself with the task of rooting out the disloyal and misguided within its own domains, primarily Europe.
That's when the Inquisition was born.



The Inquisitors came up with numerous gadgets to work within this restriction. They included:

• The Judas Chair: This was a large pyramid-shaped "seat." Accused heretics were placed on top of it, with the point inserted into their anuses or genitalia, then very, very slowly lowered onto the point with ropes. The effect was to gradually stretch out the opening of choice in an extremely painful manner.
• The Head Vice: Pretty straightforward concept. They put your head into a specially fitted vice, and tighten it until your teeth are crushed, your bones crack and eventually your eyes pop out of their sockets.
• The Pear: A large bulbous gadget is inserted in the orifice of choice, whether mouth, anus or vagina. A lever on the device then causes it to slowly expand whilst inserted. Eventually points emerge from the tips. (Apparently, internal bleeding doesn't count as "breaking the skin.")
• The Wheel: Heretics are strapped to a big ol' wheel, and their bones are clubbed into shards. Not very creative, but quite effective.

Methods of execution weren't much better. Since death was the eventual outcome, the skin-breaking point was rendered largely moot. While burning at the stake was the most widely used method, being cost-effective and providing a fun spectacle for the whole family, there were other approaches used in special cases:

• Sawing: Heretics were hung upside-down and sawed apart down the middle, starting at the crotch.
• Disembowelment: Not the nice kind of disembowelment, where a samurai slits you wide open like a fish and you die in moments. No, that's not good enough for the Inquisition. A small hole is cut in the gut, then the intestines are drawn out slowly and carefully, keeping the victim alive for as much of the process as possible.
• The Stake: Depending on how unrepentant a heretic might be, the process of burning at the stake could vary wildly. For instance, a fairly repentant heretic might be strangled, then burned. An entirely unrepentant heretic could be burned over the course of hours, using green wood or simply by placing them on top of hot coals and leaving them there until well done."

I know the above seems a bit harsh, however, what is at the core of the above concepts you are describing is all around us.

Food for thought.

[Joe LaFives]

I appreciate your point of view. Your example of the Roman Church is not jermain however that is more an example of "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely"

Embrassing ones ethnicity is a fine thing. We all need to remember where we came from but to attempt to subvert the existing culture through mob rule or to disobey the laws of the land is a problem

I think Teddy Roosevelt said it best:

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

[will butterworth]

I am totally put out with washington, I have never seen so much white collar crime, politicians in hot water, misinformation, disinformation--if it comes from washington it is a lie.I am frightened of washington, not moscow, now I understand why our fathers put a second amendment in the big document--that,s ment to keep washington straight. I fear we are stumbling into the beginning of our demise as a great nation.Will-alabama 2 cents for the day.