Let us be one!

Just some more random thoughts on immigration...

* This issue is putting our nation at an important crossroad which will determine our future as a unified nation. The right thing needs to be done, and done quickly.

* What if all my latino friends, five years down the road when the entire southwest is predominantly hispanic, decide to secede from the United States? Would we let them become their own third world country or would we have another civil war over it? Would we cease to be "united" states.

* The founding fathers and later presidents all saw the need of controlling who comes into our country. They saw America as a place to fulfill dreams for those who had character and ambition. They did not see America as a place for all the poor to come and live off the public treasury.

* The more I read about the founding fathers' views the more I see the importance of immigrants coming to the United States to be "AMERICANS". I can see more clearly the need to assimilate. The more I see the need that we as Americans become ONE!

* If immigrants do not want to become Americans and do not want to assimilate, they should not be allowed into the country.

* By assimilation, I refer to immigrants bringing the best parts of the heritage and culture and blessing and enriching America with those things. It means leaving behind the negative aspects of ones culture. It means letting your ancestry become a sub-culture, not the dominant culture. This means immigrants learning the predominant language to provide a better life for themselves and for their families.

* Becoming one has a lot of spiritual symbolism for me. There is oneness with one's spouse and there is oneness with God. I believe there is also oneness with our brothers and neighbors that makes us stronger than does celebrating our diversity. In marriage, in order to become one, you have to stop being selfish and always seeking to satisfy yourself. So to with our nation becoming one. We have to stop being selfish, set aside our differences and lift each other up as we unitedly seek to become one, one America!!!

Hermanos Mexicanos! Que vengan a mi pias para que mejoran sus vidas, pero que vengan con el deseo de ser Americanos y disfrutar las bendiciones de ser parte del mejor pais en el mundo. Aqui puedes hacer to propia fortuna, sin asistencia del gobierno. Tu puedes viver el sueno americano. Que vengan legalmente y que aprendan el idioma ingles para el provecho de tu y de todos los demas.

Teddy Roosevelt on Immigration

Theodore Roosevelt didn't shy away from the issue of immigration. He was quite the opinionated fellow. Check out this link from the Theodore Roosevelt Web Encyclopedia. There are some interesting quotes. Some of his statements are racist by today's standards. They even made me say, "I can't believe he said that!" and I disagree on those points. But if you can look past that, there is some sound reasoning to his point of view. These quotes are mostly from after his time as President.

Immigration destroying America?

Interesting speech from former Governor Lamm. Please see my blog entry on Illegal Immigration for my views on this subject.

I HAVE A PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA

RICHARD D. LAMM

I HAVE A SECRET PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA. IF YOU BELIEVE, AS MANY DO, THAT AMERICA IS TOO SMUG, TOO WHITE BREAD, TOO SELF-SATISFIED, TOO RICH, LETS DESTROY AMERICA. IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO DO. HISTORY SHOWS THAT NATIONS ARE MORE FRAGILE THAN THEIR CITIZENS THINK. NO NATION IN HISTORY HAS SURVIVED THE RAVAGES OF TIME.

ARNOLD TOYNBEE OBSERVED THAT ALL GREAT CIVILIZATIONS RISE AND THEY ALL FALL, AND THAT "AN AUTOPSY OF HISTORY WOULD SHOW THAT ALL GREAT NATIONS COMMIT SUICIDE."

HERE IS MY PLAN:
I. WE MUST FIRST MAKE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY. HISTORY SHOWS, IN MY OPINION, THAT NO NATION CAN SURVIVE THE TENSION, CONFLICT, AND ANTAGONISM OF TWO COMPETING LANGUAGES AND CULTURES. IT IS A BLESSING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE BILINGUAL; IT IS A CURSE FOR A SOCIETY TO BE BILINGUAL.

ONE SCHOLAR, SEYMOUR MARTIN LIPSET, PUT IT THIS WAY:
THE HISTORIES OF BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT ASSIMILATE ARE HISTORIES OF TURMOIL, TENSION, AND TRAGEDY. CANADA, BELGIUM, MALAYSIA, LEBANON-ALL FACE CRISES OF NATIONAL EXISTENCE IN WHICH MINORITIES PRESS FOR AUTONOMY, IF NOT INDEPENDENCE. PAKISTAN AND CYPRUS HAVE DIVIDED. NIGERIA SUPPRESSED AN ETHNIC REBELLION. FRANCE FACES DIFFICULTIES WITH ITS BASQUES, BRETONS, AND CORSICANS.

II. I WOULD THEN INVENT "MULTICULTURALISM" AND ENCOURAGE IMMIGRANTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR OWN CULTURE. I WOULD MAKE IT AN ARTICLE OF BELIEF THAT ALL CULTURES ARE EQUAL: THAT THERE ARE NO CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THAT ARE IMPORTANT. I WOULD DECLARE IT AN ARTICLE OF FAITH THAT THE BLACK AND HISPANIC DROPOUT RATE IS ONLY DUE TO PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION BY THE MAJORITY. EVERY OTHER EXPLANATION IS OUT-OF-BOUNDS.

III. WE CAN MAKE THE UNITED STATES A "HISPANIC QUEBEC" WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT. THE KEY IS TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY RATHER THAN UNITY.

AS BENJAMIN SCHWARZ SAID IN THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY RECENTLY:
...THE APPARENT SUCCESS OF OUR OWN MULTIETHNIC AND MULTICULTURAL EXPERIMENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED NOT BY TOLERANCE BUT BY HEGEMONY. WITHOUT THE DOMINANCE THAT ONCE DICTATED ETHNOCENTRICALLY, AND WHAT IT MEANT TO BE AN AMERICAN, WE ARE LEFT WITH ONLY TOLERANCE AND PLURALISM TO HOLD US TOGETHER.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL IMMIGRANTS TO KEEP THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. I WOULD REPLACE THE MELTING POT METAPHOR WITH A SALAD BOWL METAPHOR. IT IS IMPORTANT TO INSURE THAT WE HAVE VARIOUS CULTURAL SUB-GROUPS LIVING IN AMERICA REINFORCING THEIR DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN AMERICANS, EMPHASIZING THEIR SIMILARITIES.

IV. HAVING DONE ALL THIS, I WOULD MAKE OUR FASTEST GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP THE LEAST EDUCATED - I WOULD ADD A SECOND UNDERCLASS, UNASSIMILATED, UNDEREDUCATED, AND ANTAGONISTIC TO OUR POPULATION. I WOULD HAVE THIS SECOND UNDERCLASS HAVE A 50% DROP OUT RATE FROM SCHOOL.

V. I WOULD THEN GET THE BIG FOUNDATIONS AND BIG BUSINESS TO GIVE THESE EFFORTS LOTS OF MONEY. I WOULD INVEST IN ETHNIC IDENTITY, AND I WOULD ESTABLISH THE CULT OF VICTIMOLOGY. I WOULD GET ALL MINORITIES TO THINK THEIR LACK OF SUCCESS WAS ALL THE FAULT OF THE MAJORITY - I WOULD START A GRIEVANCE INDUSTRY BLAMING ALL MINORITY FAILURE ON THE MAJORITY POPULATION.

VI. I WOULD ESTABLISH DUAL CITIZENSHIP AND PROMOTE DIVIDED LOYALTIES. I WOULD "CELEBRATE DIVERSITY." "DIVERSITY" IS A WONDERFULLY SEDUCTIVE WORD. IT STRESSES DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN COMMONALITIES. DIVERSE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE MOSTLY ENGAGED IN HATING EACH OTHER-THAT IS, WHEN THEY ARE NOT KILLING EACH OTHER. A DIVERSE," PEACEFUL, OR STABLE SOCIETY IS AGAINST MOST HISTORICAL PRECEDENT. PEOPLE UNDERVALUE THE UNITY IT TAKES TO KEEP A NATION TOGETHER, AND WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MYOPIA.

LOOK AT THE ANCIENT GREEKS. DORF'S WORLD HISTORY TELLS US:
THE GREEKS BELIEVED THAT THEY BELONGED TO THE SAME RACE; THEY POSSESSED A COMMON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE; AND THEY WORSHIPED THE SAME GODS. ALL GREECE TOOK PART IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN HONOR OF ZEUS AND ALL GREEKS VENERATED THE SHRINE OF APOLLO AT DELPHI. A COMMON ENEMY PERSIA THREATENED THEIR LIBERTY. YET, ALL OF THESE BONDS TOGETHER WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME TWO FACTORS . . . (LOCAL PATRIOTISM AND GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS THAT NURTURED POLITICAL DIVISIONS . . .)

IF WE CAN PUT THE EMPHASIS ON THE "PLURIBUS," INSTEAD OF THE "UNUM," WE CAN BALKANIZE AMERICA AS SURELY AS KOSOVO.

VII. THEN I WOULD PLACE ALL THESE SUBJECTS OFF LIMITS - MAKE IT TABOO TO TALK ABOUT. I WOULD FIND A WORD SIMILAR TO "HERETIC" IN THE 16TH CENTURY - THAT STOPPED DISCUSSION AND PARALYZED THINKING. WORDS LIKE "RACIST", "XENOPHOBE" THAT HALTS ARGUMENT AND CONVERSATION. HAVING MADE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY, HAVING ESTABLISHED MULTICULTURALISM, HAVING THE LARGE FOUNDATIONS FUND THE DOCTRINE OF "VICTIMOLOGY", I WOULD NEXT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS. I WOULD DEVELOP A MANTRA - "THAT BECAUSE IMMIGRATION HAS BEEN GOOD FOR AMERICA, IT MUST ALWAYS BE GOOD." I WOULD MAKE EVERY INDIVIDUAL IMMIGRANT SYMPATRIC AND IGNORE THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT.

VIII. LASTLY, I WOULD CENSOR VICTOR DAVIS HANSON'S BOOK MEXIFORNIA — THIS BOOK IS DANGEROUS — IT EXPOSES MY PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA. SO PLEASE, PLEASE — IF YOU FEEL THAT AMERICA DESERVES TO BE DESTROYED — PLEASE, PLEASE — DON'T BUY THIS BOOK! THIS GUY IS ON TO MY PLAN.

"THE SMART WAY TO KEEP PEOPLE PASSIVE AND OBEDIENT IS TO STRICTLY LIMIT THE SPECTRUM OF ACCEPTABLE OPINION, BUT ALLOW VERY LIVELY DEBATE WITHIN THAT SPECTRUM." — NOAM CHOMSKY, AMERICAN LINGUIST AND US MEDIA AND FOREIGN POLICY CRITIC.

Ben Stein on the Oscars

Please read Ben Stein's take on the Oscars. His sentiments are interesting as he seems to be a Hollywood insider, but I am sure that he has plenty of enemies in Hollywood for statements like this. Actors and actresses are easy targets to bash for their hypocritical lives, but coming from Ben Stein, it seems to mean a little more.

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=9495

Our soldiers are truly the ones deserving of the awards and the money that Hollywood so regularly bestows upon itself.

Gas Recirculation Problem?

My new-used Honda Civic had its check engine light come on this week. I called the certified Honda repair shop and the gentleman told me I needed to bring it in for a computer diagnosis. I dropped it off yesterday after work. I called the mechanic shop later that night just before they closed and asked what the diagnosis was. Through his spanglish he told me that the car had a "gas recirculation problem".

"A what?" I asked.

"A gas recirculation problem" he tells me.

"So, what does that mean?"

"Well, what it means is...your gas cap wasn't on tight enough."

Abortion: A Renewed Debate

The abortion debate is once again coming to the forefront…perhaps rightfully so.

I don’t really look forward to hearing people lie to themselves to justify abortion. I also don’t look forward to the debate, even from those that I agree with. The extreme pro-life side is just as crazy and so often off the mark as the pro-abortion side.

I’m going to state my opinions, kind of thinking onto thru the keyboard onto the screen. I’ve just got to organize my thoughts and emotion by verbalizing them, so here it goes:

► Just because it’s legal doesn’t make it right.

► I believe in the sanctity of life whether born or unborn.

► I define the soul of man as the spirit and body combined together. I don’t think that the spirit of a person enters the body at the time of conception, but even according to scientific definition, a fertilized egg is the beginning of a new life. This new life…although dependant on the mother…already has certain inalienable rights as an independent being.

► God has never revealed to mankind the exact time that the spirit enters the body to create a soul, but I would rather err on the side of supporting the time of conception theory than be wrong when I stand before my maker to be judged of Him.

► Abortion should not be a form of birth control.

► Adoption is a great alternative to abortion.

► People who have abortions and participate in abortions feel a natural or God-given guilt…at least for awhile…until they are spiritually deadened to it by repetitive abortions and by pro-abortionists who evangelize the guilt out of them.

► Abortion would only be acceptable to me in the cases of the mother’s life being in danger, the fetus not being able to survive child birth, and rape and incest. Even then, abortion should not automatically be the first alternative. I know that God will guide the family affected by any of these scenarios, and that the right decision can be made with His guiding influence. This is the true definition of pro-choice.

► Every aborted child could have been the one to cure cancer…could have been the one to bring about world peace…Every aborted child could have been then one!!!

► The things God seems to care most about is how we come into this world and how we go out of it. Both are divine and should be treated us such. The sexual actions that lead to procreation should be respected as sacramental and should only be had between a man and a woman legally and lawfully wed. The termination of an unborn child is not the choice of the mother. That decision belongs only to God.

► More people have been killed by abortions than by all of the wars in the history of earth. I have read statistics that 25% or more of all pregnancies result in abortion. It sickens and saddens me so profoundly, that I can hardly bear to think it.

► I have seen ultrasounds of my three beautiful children at early stages of pregnancy. You cannot tell me that there wasn’t a little life there.

► My wife had a miscarriage not too far into our marriage. We didn’t even know she was pregnant until she miscarried. Regardless, we felt a loss of life. Those were real and incontrovertible feelings.

► Abortion, prior to the spirit entering the body, is not equivalent to murder, but it is “like unto it.” I believe that mid and late term abortions are murder.

► Whether or not abortion is legal or illegal, abortions will continue to happen. I will leave justice and mercy up to God. As for me, abortion as a birth control method should be abolished.

There is not a single argument in favor of abortion that I cannot refute with truth. The question is…will you accept or reject the truth when it presents itself to you?