<<Well, the real question is how to contribute to a society which doesn't disintegrate. The Marseilles fires all over France wouldn't be progress. But how to convey this in the political process? >>>
Could look back at America from 1800's on, to see how the immigrants became integrated into society.
First the German, Polish,Irish, Chinese etc would tend to stay with their own townsmen ( since they could not speak Enlish and needed to learn who they could trust).
Many of the first generation did not learn much English,a Dutch cabinet maker in Holland Michigan could hire his
own Dutch speaking workers and get along just fine, for a long time.
The schools and the work places provided the integration.
The schools did not have to ban wooden shoes or specific clothing (except for decencies) . Usefulness, functionality, and durability decided what garb became used.
If one student chose purposely to wear his national garb to class he would find out from classmates what their opinion was, and could find himself very lonely-cut off from sports and friends.
But particularily, none of the immigrants, that I knew, came over with the idea that they would run the country or change the laws.
Some, like the Quakers, chose to resist integration and stay together but live in peace with the authorities.
Most came because they were far better off here than in the Old country and appreciated that.
So consider the Muslims in France ......and why they are there.
Did they come to work?
Did they come to rope off a section of France and make it into an Arabic speaking Muslim territory ?
Do they want to start at the top, become international bankers ?
Or just sit and enjoy government handouts by doing enough complaining?
So if the Immigrants have the wrong attitude, do not like French government rules let them proceed to become legal citizens and then try to change things.
But IMO with schools so important, they should if needed, ban those activities that disrupt the education process.
In my day, teachers and students had more freedom and fewer rules. Wear a turban to class and some very strange
things could happen - rules or no rules.
Sig |
