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Politics : Piffer Thread on Political Rantings and Ravings -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Original Mad Dog who wrote (7986)	5/15/2002 6:27:52 PM
From: Oral Roberts	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14610

I believe most of the older immigrants felt the same way. They were leaving their native countries for a reason and were determined to make this their new homes and to have fresh start's in life. My area is all Norwegian and when I was young many of these people spoke English with a very thick accent but it was English they spoke. Our Lutheran church would do a second service in Norwegian but that was the extent of their old language. My great grandmother spoke such broken English that you had to be around her awhile to pick up what she was saying but she would not speak her native tongue because she had left that behind. Sadly things were much different then. You could not even stay if you didn't have a job. You came here to be an American, not an Irish American or Norwegian American, but an American. Our hyphenated Americans are what are tearing us apart and causing us to lose our identity. I think the decline of every civilization is preceded by it's internal tearing apart by micro groups. There doesn't seem to be many just plain old Americans left anymore. Perhaps the end is near:)

To: Original Mad Dog who wrote (7986)	5/15/2002 6:30:56 PM
From: SmoothSail	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14610

Since I grew up in LA, it wasn't at all unusual to live in a multi-ethnic neighborhood. Our neighbors were Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Armenian, Jewish, Black, Italian, Slavic and mostly Irish. As a kid, I never noticed the difference - I was aware that other kids "looked" different but it didn't mean anything to me. Some of the kids were bilingual so they could talk to their parents and grandparents but all of them were thoroughly Americanized - their parents insisted on it. But that didn't mean they didn't hang onto their traditions. I have very fond memories of the pinata at my Mexican friends birthdays. And always looked forward to being invited over for Chinese lobster. I was allowed to attend Temple, Mormon bible studies, and I loved going to church with my black friend because I loved the gospel music. I also went along with my friends to whatever kind of church they attended, - Episcopal, Methodist, Luthern and they in turn came to Mass with me. I love the diversity of our nation but I agree that if people want to come here to live the American dream, then they should participate as Americans and contribute in a positive way. And that means accepting the way of life and not insist on changing it to make it conform to the country they came from. That Florida driver's license is a case in point. Driving is a privilege - not a right. If you don't want to follow the rules, then you forego the privilege.