Recently there was a post by Rourke at modernsurvivalonline.com that reminded many including myself that things are not as they should be....
"Growing up I always believed that this country was a place of freedom and where dreams could come true. Where a man could be anything he wanted to be. I have always heard that each generation should live better than the next. I worry that the damage thus far is too permanent to our culture, to our society, and to our government to ever return to the glory days of the Great United States of America. I am referring to the United States that fought in World War II and helped save so many countries from evil. What would Europe look like today if the United States had not gotten involved?"
"Growing up I always believed that this country was a place of freedom and where dreams could come true. Where a man could be anything he wanted to be. I have always heard that each generation should live better than the next. I worry that the damage thus far is too permanent to our culture, to our society, and to our government to ever return to the glory days of the Great United States of America. I am referring to the United States that fought in World War II and helped save so many countries from evil. What would Europe look like today if the United States had not gotten involved?"
Read the whole post here and check out the comments also. Rourke's post reminded me of Red's Pledge, I was only nine when I heard it on his show, somehow it was still in the recesses of my memory. Listening to it now reminds me of when I was a young boy and my father building a huge flag pole in our front yard. Once completed he showed me how to raise the flag. The care he took, The whole process... a defined purpose of respect... unfolding it.... careful he said... don't let it touch the ground. He would clip it to the line (I was to short to reach) and then he would let me raise it. I will never forget the pride I felt raising that flag.... just as I do today. He told me what the flag meant to him, what it stood for and about those who had sacrificed so much so that we could stand in our front yard and raise our flag.... I learned much later the sacrifices he made and his service overseas in the Air Force. I wish every child could learn the lessons I learned.... just raising our flag.
Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance
"Boys and girls, I have been listening to you recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it appears that it has become monotonous to you or could it be you do not know the meaning of those words. If I may, I would like to recite the Pledge and give to you a definition of the words. I----meaning me, an individual, a committee of one.
Pledge----dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self pity.
Allegiance----my love and my devotion.
To the Flag----our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there is respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job.
Of the United----that means that we have all come together.
States----individual communities that have united into 48 great states. 48 individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose, all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common cause, and that's love of country.
Of America.
And to the Republic----a republic, a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.
For which it stands!
One nation----meaning, so blessed by God.
Indivisible----incapable of being divided.
With Liberty----which is freedom and the right of power to live one's life without threats or fear or any sort of retaliation.
And justice----The principle and quality of dealing fairly with others.
For all.----which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine."
Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our nation, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance "under God." Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said, "That's a prayer" and that would be eliminated from schools, too?
The Twilight of Our Collective Dreams
By JP
In the last few years many in this country have seen and felt that something just isn't right. We have witnessed things that seem completely inconsistent with our culture and thought process. Mass groups have marched down the main thoroughfares in dozens of our cities carrying and waving flags of other countries, while are kids are told they can't wear American flag tee shirts to school because it would be offensive to students of different ethnic backgrounds. We are told to say "happy holidays" as "marry christmas" may be somehow offensive. American-Muslim groups use our laws in an attempt to force Sharia Law into our legal system and demand it's use in our courts. We are told that we must display a -passive tolerance- when others try to displace our culture and replace it with a culture from a foreign land. On and on.... but why? Some years back a Harvard sociologist named Nathan Glazer announced that "we are all multiculturalists now." One's first response upon hearing such a declaration might be to ask "what do you mean... "we?" Yet even if "we" aren't subscribers to this ideology, it is undeniable that over the last twenty plus years multiculturalism has become the preferred social engineering strategy throughout our liberal friends policies, our educational systems and our universities -where it was first conceived. Ah yes, the -Ivory Towers- of our ULB (University Like Buildings) where once -knowledge transfer- was the goal, now -indoctrination- is the name of the game. From these ULB's flowed a whole new plague of totalitarian horrors like "diversity", "sensitivity training", "tolerance", "political correctness", "inclusion" and many other speech codes.... all under the umbrella of "multiculturalism." If you are old enough you may remember the 1987 riots at Stanford University (the vanguard of "diversity and inclusion") where the protesting students chanted "Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Western Culture has got to go." I wish "academia" would concentrate it's efforts toward history, math and the sciences and leave "abstract expressionism" in the art class where it belongs. Our universities are full of people who are intelligent on paper, but who understand little.
Although there are many tenets in the multiculturalism ideology which have propagated and influenced all matters of our society such as educational curricula, mandated racial proportionality in employment and university admissions, "diversity" has by far done the most damage to our culture. Multiculturalism pushes the theory that all cultures are equal, be it ours or the culture of an immigrant community from a third world country. The progressives believe that immigrants should keep their language and that we are obligated to become a bilingual nation. Our cereal boxes printed with a different language on each side. The progressives believe this enriches our culture and we will all live in a more diverse and therefor richer and wiser community. This is of course in direct contrast to the American -melting pot- ideology which asks everyone to assimilate into our very distinct western culture. Immigrants of course keep their history, can freely practice their religion and live as free a life as anyone else, but are expected to essentially become American, to want to be a part of and belong to, and take ownership of, and stand in defense of " America" and the opportunities and freedoms they are now experiencing. English is our official language and all are expected to learn it. Immigrants are free to speak any language they like but knowing English is an expectation in order to participate in and take ownership of "the grand promise of America."
Examples of the multiculturalism mindset at work:
-Many immigrant parents say that while they want their children to advance economically in their new country, they do not want them to become "American." A common concern among Haitians in South Florida.
-Vietnamese parents in New Orleans often try to keep their children immersed in their ethnic enclave and try not to let them assimilate.
-Asked by researchers Alejandro Portes and Ruben Rumbauthow how they identified themselves, most chose categories of hyphenated Americans. Few choose "American" as their identity.
-Then there was this – asked if they believe the United States is the best country in the world, most of the youngsters answered: no.
- "Maria Jacinto, 32, who moved to the United States 10 years ago with her husband, Aristeo Jacinto, 36. "In the Hispanic tradition, the family comes first. It's important for our children not to be influenced too much by the gueros," she said, using a term that means "blondies" but that she employs generally in reference to Americans.
- Maria Jacinto, who speaks only Spanish, stresses a need to maintain the family's Mexican heritage. Jacinto became a U.S. citizen last April, but she does not feel like an American. In fact, she seems resistant to the idea of assimilating into U.S. society. "I think I'm still a Mexican," she says. "When my skin turns white and my hair turns blonde, then I'll be an American."
-in Miami, three-quarters of residents speak a language other than English at home and 67 percent of those say they are not fluent in English or can't speak it at all.
-In New York City, 4 of every 10 residents speak a language other than English at home, and of these, half said they do not speak English well or can't speak it at all.
Examples of the multiculturalism mindset at work:
-Many immigrant parents say that while they want their children to advance economically in their new country, they do not want them to become "American." A common concern among Haitians in South Florida.
-Vietnamese parents in New Orleans often try to keep their children immersed in their ethnic enclave and try not to let them assimilate.
-Asked by researchers Alejandro Portes and Ruben Rumbauthow how they identified themselves, most chose categories of hyphenated Americans. Few choose "American" as their identity.
-Then there was this – asked if they believe the United States is the best country in the world, most of the youngsters answered: no.
- "Maria Jacinto, 32, who moved to the United States 10 years ago with her husband, Aristeo Jacinto, 36. "In the Hispanic tradition, the family comes first. It's important for our children not to be influenced too much by the gueros," she said, using a term that means "blondies" but that she employs generally in reference to Americans.
- Maria Jacinto, who speaks only Spanish, stresses a need to maintain the family's Mexican heritage. Jacinto became a U.S. citizen last April, but she does not feel like an American. In fact, she seems resistant to the idea of assimilating into U.S. society. "I think I'm still a Mexican," she says. "When my skin turns white and my hair turns blonde, then I'll be an American."
-in Miami, three-quarters of residents speak a language other than English at home and 67 percent of those say they are not fluent in English or can't speak it at all.
-In New York City, 4 of every 10 residents speak a language other than English at home, and of these, half said they do not speak English well or can't speak it at all.
- In Miami, where Cuban immigrants dominate the political landscape, tensions are high between Hispanics and blacks, said Nathaniel J. Wilcox, a community activist there. "The perception in the black community, the reality, is that Hispanics don't want some of the power, they want all the power," Wilcox said. "At least when we were going through this with the whites during the Jim Crow era, at least they'd hire us. But Hispanics won't allow African Americans to even compete. They have this feeling that their community is the only community that counts."
Multiculturalism, by all measurement has been an utter failure. It has fractured our society and divided our nation along race, ethnic and cultural lines. Multiculturalism is transforming us from "E Pluribus Unum" (out of many, one) Into many subcultures with different values, ethics and loyalties- all competing against each other for power and the same finite resources... instead of working towards common goals. There was a time... not so long ago... when peoples of other countries dreamed of coming to America. They did not dream of just living here, they dreamed of joining the great American experiment. And when they came they became us... because we were them.... immigrants in a nation born of immigrants. A nation of individuals...but a nation built on our collective dreams. A dream of freedom and opportunity, a dream that says to everyone, regardless of your circumstances or position at birth... opportunity awaits. A dream that says everyone has the right to be... to work toward and pursue with their own ability, drive and vision whatever they dream to be a better life, a better self and a brighter future. And with that... the promise to protect and hold dear an America that makes all possible.
Are we approaching the twilight of our collective dreams? Is the sun setting on our traditional society? Are our "melting pot" ideals and our American culture destined for replacement?... Only time will tell. The one thing that's undeniable is this... if we don't defend what are perhaps the greatest and most honorable ideals and ideologies man has ever dared to dream.. and then make reality... who will?
Multiculturalism, by all measurement has been an utter failure. It has fractured our society and divided our nation along race, ethnic and cultural lines. Multiculturalism is transforming us from "E Pluribus Unum" (out of many, one) Into many subcultures with different values, ethics and loyalties- all competing against each other for power and the same finite resources... instead of working towards common goals. There was a time... not so long ago... when peoples of other countries dreamed of coming to America. They did not dream of just living here, they dreamed of joining the great American experiment. And when they came they became us... because we were them.... immigrants in a nation born of immigrants. A nation of individuals...but a nation built on our collective dreams. A dream of freedom and opportunity, a dream that says to everyone, regardless of your circumstances or position at birth... opportunity awaits. A dream that says everyone has the right to be... to work toward and pursue with their own ability, drive and vision whatever they dream to be a better life, a better self and a brighter future. And with that... the promise to protect and hold dear an America that makes all possible.
Are we approaching the twilight of our collective dreams? Is the sun setting on our traditional society? Are our "melting pot" ideals and our American culture destined for replacement?... Only time will tell. The one thing that's undeniable is this... if we don't defend what are perhaps the greatest and most honorable ideals and ideologies man has ever dared to dream.. and then make reality... who will?
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