If something is your
home, it is your duty to defend it from dangerous elements. That being said,
America has not been responsible with its immigration policies. A little worse
than this is that it has not emphasized assimilation of immigrants into
its land. But the worst is that it has abandoned the 'glue' that keeps people
together. By harping on diversity, America has become a land of different groups
of people insistent on their own language, culture and ways. Its citizenship
pledge clearly exacts a promise from its to-be-citizens to give up all support
and allegiance to foreign governments and people inimical to America.
Mark Stein
explained it very aptly by saying that some first generation Americans have
grown up without a sense of connectedness and allegiance to the land they live in. As a result, they tend to find their identity in something
more solid and defining however evil that might be. Unfortunately, most youth
in America unlike some unfortunate youth around the world, don't have much to
worry about. Ease of life has tended to veer them toward something more
exacting, more exciting, more lethal like Islamic Jihadism. This has been
evident in the Boston Terrorism, Fort Hood
Terrorism, and the most recent arrest of a young American
headed off to Turkey with Al-Qaeda links, with the intent of
committing violence in the name of Islam.
These homegrown
terrorists seem well adjusted but also harbor malicious feelings toward a land
and its people. They and their families had no compunctions in receiving
various benefits and opportunities in this land but when it came to defending
its values and freedoms and what America stood for, they found themselves
pledging their allegiance
to people and causes completely inimical to America!
Homegrown terrorists
are now intent on destroying themselves and other innocent men, women and
children for some strange ideology. They are willing to destroy something they
never built nor created. Images of people dying or being killed in distant
lands of their fathers and forefathers have become their rallying cry for
destruction of America! A religion they never grew up with but became
fascinated with its twisted ideology has come to dominate their life. Did these
people consider leaving America and living in the distant lands they were
willing to kill innocents for?
How much blame can be
placed on the current American
education system in schools and colleges - a lot because most
schools and colleges are rife with anti-American, hate America, America the
villain, blame America - kinds of teachings. A majority of the teaching
staff weighs heavily in favor of socialist ideas and makes no bones about
declaring them to the students. Coloring their teaching with political leanings
of any kind, is not the job of teachers and professors. At most, they can give their students
both sides of a problem or situation and insist the students decipher it
themselves.
Incidentally
socialism and communism have wrecked havoc wherever they have been! Schools and
colleges here are not about teaching pride in your nation and helping students
understand why America does what is does but more about condemning America. It is not uncommon to hear that America is the worst place to live in. Meanwhile millions of immigrants continue to stream into America which remains top destination for all immigrants.
It is disconcerting to think of all immigrants who
made America their home when they saw a country with new opportunities and a
good life. The stifling governments systems they left behind are unfortunately
being glorified in the American schools and colleges their children attend. The
current tilt of American education indeed makes a mockery of America's way of
life and what it stands for.
Great ideas and fantastic write up. Sad but true.
ReplyDeleteThanks K.W. If I had put this out on Yahoo, they would have collapsed with the sheer weight of truth.
DeleteFirst of all, I love Mark Stein. He's so logical. I think so much of what you said makes sense, but since I was born here, I feel like I can't really voice an opinion on this.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kris. Me too, I have Stein's books and what a fantastic sense of humor. He makes such perfect sense. Of course you can voice your opinion on anything, one of the wonderful things about being American.
DeleteExactly so. We need to make English the official language and take other steps to ensure assimilation. We certainly want to celebrate other cultures, but if you want to live here, join our society. America is (and can be) great. We should be proud to say it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by.
DeleteI am Indian and equally proud to be a part of this land. There is something missing from education in schools and colleges here - how to be proud of one's country and celebrating its achievements.