One hundred years ago, one of the greatest of Republicans was confronted by what people at the time described as an “immigration crises”. Both coasts were inundated with immigrants.
On the east coast, millions poured into the United States, mostly from southern Europe, TRS’s grandparents among them. On the west coast, millions more were entering from Asia. Vast cultural differences separated the immigrants, who came from environments as diverse as Sarajevo and Shanghais or Tokyo and Thermopylae. Those vast cultural differences were subordinated to the one common belief and desire that prompted a little Greek boy of 14 to cross the Atlantic by himself and bicycle from New York to Centerville Iowa-the desire to be an American.
In times most similar to our own, the question arose of the Republican and American response to all of the newcomers, whose strange languages and strange social practices were disturbing the mostly northern European traditions of the early migrants to America.
The original Bull Moose had an answer. In 1907 President Theodore Roosevelt said:
"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."
As the modern Democrats demagogue the issue, seeking to brand us as racists because we expect modern immigrants, mostly Hispanic, will engage in the same social, political and cultural assimilation as did all of the previous immigrants to this country, we must fight back with TR's pugnacity. Democrats will use the press and the schools to preach "diversity" as a means of Balkanizing America by defining each individual as the member of a demographic group, cretaing special exceptions to American traditions (like refusing to fly an American flag at a school in Colorado because it might offens Hispanic students and parents) and worst of all, by creating a multi-lingual failed state-kind of like the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires from which so many of those early 20th Century immigrants came.
On the east coast, millions poured into the United States, mostly from southern Europe, TRS’s grandparents among them. On the west coast, millions more were entering from Asia. Vast cultural differences separated the immigrants, who came from environments as diverse as Sarajevo and Shanghais or Tokyo and Thermopylae. Those vast cultural differences were subordinated to the one common belief and desire that prompted a little Greek boy of 14 to cross the Atlantic by himself and bicycle from New York to Centerville Iowa-the desire to be an American.
In times most similar to our own, the question arose of the Republican and American response to all of the newcomers, whose strange languages and strange social practices were disturbing the mostly northern European traditions of the early migrants to America.
The original Bull Moose had an answer. In 1907 President Theodore Roosevelt said:
"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."
As the modern Democrats demagogue the issue, seeking to brand us as racists because we expect modern immigrants, mostly Hispanic, will engage in the same social, political and cultural assimilation as did all of the previous immigrants to this country, we must fight back with TR's pugnacity. Democrats will use the press and the schools to preach "diversity" as a means of Balkanizing America by defining each individual as the member of a demographic group, cretaing special exceptions to American traditions (like refusing to fly an American flag at a school in Colorado because it might offens Hispanic students and parents) and worst of all, by creating a multi-lingual failed state-kind of like the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires from which so many of those early 20th Century immigrants came.
There really can be no "give" on this issue. Even in Iowa the Democrats are using the power of the Governor's office to pollute the election lists with registered voters who are not citizens of the United States. If we don't win now, there won't be any rematch on this issue.
Does anyone really want to wake up and find themselves in Yugoslavia?
8 comments:
The difference between now and then is that our immigrant ancestors to assimilate to the US culture rather than to continue their european cultures left behind. They knew that assimilation was crucial to their success in America.
Now, the libs actively encourage non-assimilation.
If their cultures were so terrific that they can't assimilate into ours, why on earth did they come here?
America is great because of our behavior, not because of the longitude and latitude.
Go through a tour of the immigrant museums in Iowa and you'll see the dedication our grandparents had to becoming AMERICANS, not to remaining - NON Americans.
The libs really do hate America and hate themselves for being American.
Their vigilence in keeping people from assimilating is proof.
Plus, it let's them keep those immigrants as victims. The only constituency that D's have are victims.
They are evil.
Home Run Teddy.
This sounds like a platform for an election. Is it?
What's the deal with the Blog Net News?
I went over to rate your 10:55 post and saw that it wasn't there but several newer Democrat blogs were up. Why does it take so long for you to get cross posted so that people can rate you during the work day?
Excellent post.
Breathtaking as the grandson of impoverished Eastern European immigrants I can run for President of the United States of America simply by filing without charge a notice of intent with the government.
As amazing is all I need do to be a serious contender is make a strong showing in Iowa or New Hampshire. By doing that I'll prove money, political connections, and media coverage doesn't trump the will of an aroused electorate seeking real change.
OK, Annonymous, it's your turn. Do your worst!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What's breath-taking is the sense of self worth you have about yourself, Klein.
Hi Mark, Ken Hoyle, here. Just wondering when you were going to address Saccamano's assertion that you threw a phony threat claim out there just to draw attention to yourself. Said you were going to sic the Secret Service on us, too, as I recall. You can post in here all day but until you clear that one up I don't see a time as to when anyone is going to let up on you. Either admit you made a mistake or have the pair to admit you're a liar.
Thanks Ken!
15 days and counting that Klein continues to refuse to explain this supposed threat claim.
R. L. "Bobby the Sack" Saccamano said...
MARK KLEIN, I believe you must have missed this one from Ken Hoyle:
Hi Mark, Ken Hoyle, here. Just wondering when you were going to address Saccamano's assertion that you threw a phony threat claim out there just to draw attention to yourself. Said you were going to sic the Secret Service on us, too, as I recall. You can post in here all day but until you clear that one up I don't see a time as to when anyone is going to let up on you. Either admit you made a mistake or have the pair to admit you're a liar.
16 days and counting, Klein continues to dodge questions regarding his phony threat claim.
I'm not sure what "political, social & cultural" assimilation really means. I would imagine that learning English, pledging allegiance to our country (work hard, obey laws, etc.) is enough, no?
This thread makes me want to go see a jewish comedy, eat mexican food, drink some irish lager, dance to some booty music, then do some tai chi and fall asleep listening to classical music.
God bless America (the REAL one)! :)
Post a Comment