MEANING OF CITIZENSHIP IS A MYSTERY IN MODERN AMERICA
Georgie Anne Geyer
WASHINGTON -- As America approaches Labor Day and then the
anniversary of 9/11, we look to both our work heritage and to questions
of our future in the war against terrorism as we survey the national
scene.
But an internal unraveling is occurring within the American fabric that is,
I believe, the most serious issue confronting us as a nation.
To put it most simply, we are moving from a classically transformational
society to a concessionary society. Instead of imposing our principles on
others within America, or inspiring with them, we now grant cultural and
political concessions to others.
National peace is kept not by a central system based on historical
principles and adhered to by a majority of citizens, but with a balance of
power by which a central monitoring government grants privileges and
concessions to various demanding, diffuse special interests and ethnic
forces that exist for their own purposes.
It is almost as if the central authority in American life were a carnival
hawker, urging all comers to see what they can bargain for. "Step right
up!" is the cry.
Six years ago this fall, my last book, "America No More: The Death of
Citizenship," was published. In it, I argued that American citizenship
was being tragically weakened, leaving large numbers of us without
serious commitment to a true, historical, deep Americanism.
But even social nature abhors a vacuum, and in those six years,
virtually nothing has been accomplished to raise Americans' knowledge
of history or to deepen their understanding of citizenship. Thus the
vacuum is being filled with spontaneous barter relationships between
the government and just about anyone who comes here and chooses to
make demands upon it. A few examples:
One of the most disturbingly exploited areas is language. Despite the
fact that, for instance, bilingual education is totally discredited and has
supposedly been legally abolished in many states, the government
actually gives in to public and educational multilingualism at every turn.
The Bush administration, in spite of earlier promises to straighten out
the bilingual education mess (including a promise made to this writer by
President Bush himself three years ago), has not even touched Bill
Clinton's Executive Order 13166. In this astonishing presidential fiat,
everyone has a de facto "civil right" to have an oral interpreter and
translation service, paid for by American taxpayers, for any of the 176
languages spoken somewhere in the United States.
Everywhere you look in language concerns, the idea of English as the
implicit language of America is losing. Special "Hispanic services" are
being created in many communities. ATM machines offer Spanish
services -- and soon will expand to other languages. Increasing
numbers of children born in America are growing up in "linguistically
isolated" households and need English instruction in schools. (The
figures for Montgomery and Fairfax counties near Washington are 35
percent in special English classes that were supposedly for foreigners.)
Politicians' books are now published concurrently in Spanish (Tennessee
Sen. Bill Frist's new book on terrorism, for instance), thus further
isolating Hispanics from the bigger world.
Still another disturbing area is that of law, as more and more ethnic or
religious groups and individuals demand that the laws change for them,
in place of their obeying the laws of the land.
In Cook County in Illinois, Deputy Sheriff Crystal Clark, a Muslim,
insists upon wearing a headscarf with her uniform. A national Muslim
advocacy group says denial of her demand is "denial of religious
accommodation." In Florida, another Muslim woman, Sultanna Freeman,
insists she be allowed to have her driver's license photo taken with her
face covered and only her eyes showing. Etc., etc., etc.
This country was founded on the Protestant ethic, which demanded that
each man be judged only on his morality and work. Today, even the
Protestant churches are adapting, changing their outreach and cultural
principles to fit the new age.
The Episcopal Church in its "Atlanta Manifesto" recently stated that is
has become a "church in a state of mission, that is, a missionary
church" to the Hispanics and others. The leaders of seven
predominantly white Protestant denominations this summer stated that
America is an "unchurched culture" and that they need to reach
newcomers and others in their own language and culture.
Meanwhile, other powers reach into the vacuum at the center. So far
this year, the Mexican government has distributed about half a million
identification cards, known as "matriculas consulares," to Mexicans
living in the United States. They are recognized as official "American"
IDs now by more than 200 U.S. city police departments. America does
not even insist anymore upon that most basic power of the nation-state,
credentialing its own people.
All of this cannot help but influence outsiders. A recent Zogby
International poll showed that 58 percent of the Mexican population (in
Mexico) believes that the American Southwest belongs to Mexico and
that Mexicans should have the right to enter it without American
permission. (That time may not be that far off.)
We are about to pay a dear price for our refusal to teach and succor our
principles. One can already see the consequences looming as we allow
our once so beautifully transformational values to wither and die. Step
right up.
COPYRIGHT 2002 UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE
Originally Published on August-29-2002
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