Yes, my friends are RWers - anybody else received this email?

[T Roosevelt]

This one's new to me - haven't seen it before. It says some pretty sad things about this country (and about my friends). I'm busy working on a response...but any help is welcome.


Story in Tampa Paper

Will we still be the Country of choice and still be America if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries that came to live in America because it is the Country of Choice?????? Think about it . . .

All I have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS? I celebrate Christmas, but because it isn't celebrated by everyone, we can no longer say Merry Christmas. Now it has to be Season's Greetings. It's not Christmas vacation, it's Winter Break. Isn't it amazing how this winter break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday? We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend anyone, that I am now being offended. But it seems that no one has a problem with that.

This says it all!


This is an editorial written by an American citizen, published in a Tampa newspaper. He did quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!

IMMIGRANTS, NOT AMERICANS, MUST ADAPT.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Americans. However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct" crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.

I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to America. Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants. However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand. This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.


We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!

"In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.

If Stars and Stripes offend you, or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle. Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion and we will allow you every opportunity to do so. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Wow, the errors and bigotry and hatred and stupidity

and xenophobia just OOOOZE out of that sumbitch, don't they?

[Political_Junkie]

2. ugh!

How utterly revolting!

[kixot]

3. How sickening.

Makes my stomach churn thinking the founding fathers sacrificed so much so that bigotted, racist, small-minded cowards of intellect could spout such shameful bile.

[salinen]

4. Why is everyone

picking on G.Gordon Liddys son?

[jono]

5. Icky!

I'd ask the sender to define "our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle" (I have a funny feeling the author might disagree with my "lifestyle," yet I was born an American citizen as well).

I'd also ask to see documentation that English is America's national language.

[Droopy]

6. WTF?

This person is supposed to be your friend and he/she sends you crap like this?

"The idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereinty and our national identity."

That statement borders on racism. Incredible. I don't know how a newspaper saw this fit to print.

[mhr]

7. My History Taught Me That This Country Was Founded On Religious Tolerance

Seems we have to be tolerant of all religions not just Christianity.

Further, many of the founding fathers were Deists not Christians in that they did not believe in the supernatural aspects of the Bible.

Instead they believed in a "watchmaker's God", someone that wound the spring and then left. This leaving man to his own devices, intellect, and reason, not divine intervention.

[maveric]

13. "In God We Trust" not "In Christ We Trust".

The christian god is not singled out at all.
Is Christ ever mentioned in the constitution? I don thnk so!!
And you are right the founding fathers were deist not christians in the sense of the new testament.

[MissB]

8. This one has been going around for years

I highly doubt it was ever published.

I once typed up a point-by-point reply for this very email. It's a great way to vent.

[Kookaburra]

9. Got this same email about a year ago

from a RW friend. I reminded her that not everyone in this country is Christian, and those of us who are not Native American have absolutely no right to go bullying others around and telling them to adapt to "our" culture or get out. I also told her that this was the most offensive piece of garbage I had ever read, and I prayed that she was not teaching her children this kind of insanity. She said that after she re-read it she could see where it might be offensive.

She has actually come around of late. She's a teacher and thinks this "no child left behind" nonsense stinks like dirty old sweatsocks. Don't know if she'll actually go through with voting for someone besides the pResident next November, but at least her mindset is turning.

[Castilleja]

10. Yes, but from a family member...

I always consider replying, but the emails are always so error ridden and hopelessly misinformed, that I get tired just thinking about looking up stuff to refute it. I just delete it.

[Donna Zen]

11. Written by Savage perhaps?

There is too much there for a single debunking. I'd consider attacking one piece at a time and sending it out one a day. It would take several weeks to finish the project, but heck, they might even read it.

[madfloridian]

12. Hoax mail, different versions, see Snopes. Link.

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/american.htm

Search word "immigrants".

Status: "sort of" true.

It is a compilation of things. The Tampa Trib is one of the versions.

[T Roosevelt]

14. I checked snopes and found that one

A very loose variation...

[T Roosevelt]

15. My response

Talk about a disappointing email. And the sentiments expressed in it are some of the most un-American I've ever read. Makes my stomach churn thinking the Founding Fathers sacrificed so much so that bigotted, racist, small-minded cowards of intellect could spout such shameful bile. Before forwarding stuff like this, at least check it for historical accuracy.

"This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity."

This country was founded on multiculturalism - immigrants from hundreds of country came to this country to find the freedoms, liberties, and opportunities that they did not have in their own country. Our national identity is found exactly in the mixing of cultures that formed this country, hence the reason America is referred to as the "melting pot". Our language came from Europe, our alphabet from Arabia, our religions from Italy and Israel and Arabia and India and China. We didn't invent the number zero (that would also be the Arabs). Our "centuries of struggle" are nothing next to the millenia of struggle of many other cultures. This complete lack of humility is one reason for the anti-Americanism found throughout the world.

"...Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented."

No, the one thing that is clearly documented is that the founders of the nation were deists, not Christians. Rather than believe in the supernatural aspects of the Bible, they believed in a "watchmaker's God", someone that wound the spring and then left, thus leaving man to his own devices, intellect, and reason, not divine intervention. And the phrase "In God We Trust" is NOT the national motto - that would be "E Pluribus Unum", suggested by Thomas Jefferson, and adopted in 1782, five years before the Constitutional Convention of 1787. "In God We Trust" was placed on our money (the definition of irony?) during the turmoil of the Civil War, nearly a century after the founding of this country, in a political move pandering to potential religious voters.

Furthermore, the Treaty of Tripoli of 1798, an official legal document signed by John Adams, states:

Article 11. As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,--as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,--and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

The basis for our rules and laws originated with English common law, which can be traced to the Code of Hammurabi. The Constitution reflects our founders views of a secular government, protecting the freedom of any belief or unbelief. Probably less than ten percent of Americans in 1800 were members of congregations.

My history taught me that this country was founded on religious tolerance. Not everyone is Christian, and those of us who are not Native American have absolutely no right to go bullying others around and telling them to adapt to "our" culture or get out.

It's intolerance like the crap spread in this email that really offends people more than the supposed offenses by immigrants to "native" Americans.


On edit: third paragraph...

[otohara]

18. Sorry Your Friends are So

brainwashed and intollerant. I have no republican friends, by choice. Yick.

[Bertha Venation]

19. "I have no republican friends, by choice."

How sad. Sorry you're so brainwashed and intolerant.

[BiggJawn]

23. I don't have any ReTHUGlican friends, either.

I've tried, gawd knows I've tried. Even tried tieing a bundle of oil leases around my neck, but they STILL wouldn't play with me...

I've met very few ReTHUGlicans I can get along with. Some (very few) can argue a point extremely well and are fun to talk to, but the majority are just Ditto-slogan spouting Brownshirts...

[ArtieBoy]

29. Is this a joke?

18. Sorry Your Friends are So brainwashed and intollerant. I have no republican friends, by choice. Yick.

You're so open-minded and tolerant that you deliberately avoid having Republican friends? Was this post by Jessica Simpson? HA HA HA HA! Yeah, I agree with you! ICKY--POO! EWW!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

16. I agree completely....

"As Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

snip

We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle.

I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE."

Tell your friends that I agree with them totally and, as a woman of native American ancestry, I invite them cordially to get their sorry white asses out of my country. :)

[Coldgothicwoman]

17. Well, when you compress my favorite paragraph/line...

...you get 'We didn't adopt this because its a Christian slogan, we did it because its Christian'. I've always found that one to be amusing. Granted...in a very sick sort of way.

[BigBigBear]

20. Immigrants

fought and died in American wars, built the cities, the roads, the bridges, the schools, the mines, the factories.

Our very way of life was built on the backs of immigrants - the Poles and Germans in the midwest farms, the Irish in the Northeast, the Chinese in California.

Their uniting bond was freedom, hard work, opportunity and democracy. Not a Christian God.

People of any religion who respect THOSE basic tenets are welcome here - I don't care who they pray to.

If white, rightwing, fundy Prostestants feel besieged in this day and age, they can thank cavemen like the one who wrote this drivel.

[Lorien]

21. OK, from the very first paragraph

where has this person EVER been told they can't say "Merry Christmas" or "Christmas break"? I live in Orlando, where the CHRISTMAS decorations have already been hung from every lamp post-by the city! Most universities use "Christmas break" when speaking about the break given during the National holiday (Have you ever seen a government building open on Christmas?). I'd like to hear specific examples given. I've never heard of the post office or banks closing for Ramadan or Hanukkah, but does that make our Nation Christian? Not according to our founders, who warned that Christian fundamentalism could destroy our country (Jefferson had much to say on this issue-you might try a Google search). The pilgrims came here to practice their religion freely, and to escape a country where there was a National religion. America would not BE America if others could not do the same. America would not be America without dissent, either. If people were always content with the prevailing culture of the country, we would either have adapted to a Native American culture or we would all be singing "God save the Queen" today. A never ending desire to make our country all that it can be-for EVERY American (well, not Native Americans, they've been totally screwed) is what has made this country what it is.

If you pal wants to live in a place where no one complains about the government (I suppose he/she loved Clinton too?) and everyone worships in the same way, maybe Iran would be a good choice? Saddam would have been her/his ideal ruler-isn't THAT ironic?

[T Roosevelt]

22. Hey stranger!

Haven't "seen"" you in awhile. Very well said - wish I'd waited to send my response. Orlando is amazingly RW - it still surprises me how many of my friends and acquaintances are to the right (some WAAAY right).

[Lorien]

27. Hey there!

:hi:
I thought your response was perfect as is. I just spouted off the first thing that came to mind, while you presented something well researched and eloquent. :toast: I think your friend's head will explode, trying to obsorb so much common sense and factual information in a single sitting-nothing at all like the bile he/she ingests daily from Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly and the rest of the hatemongers in the "liberal" media.Way to go!:thumbsup:

[Military Brat]

24. What a mess they would be in if we all left the country

I get so tired of this "America, love it or leave it" crap, this attitude of jingoism which is as thick as cigar smoke at a fat cat poker game. What the hell are they thinking? Do those right-winger-dingers honestly believe they would last for one minute if all the liberals and progressives and politically correct people left America? Hell, that would be at least half the country. The economy would collapse, the infrastructure would deteriorate, there would not be enough teachers to educate their rug rats, or firefighters or police to protect their sorry butts. What a bunch of mealy-mouthed bushie brigade BS. My satisfaction, though, would be in watching them turn on each other, because the RW must have an enemy in order to justify its existence.

Oh, yeah, and we're taking our kids with us, too.

[ArtieBoy]

25. This is where you guys lose me...

As a recently registered Democrat, this is where you guys lose me. I see nothing wrong with this guy's article. For all of you who say it's "racist" or "xenophobic," how do you explain the line, "I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to America. In fact, our country's population is almost entirely composed of descendants of immigrants." This would seem to coincide with your point that our country's population is almost entirely composed of descendants of immigrants.

"Racism" is a word thrown around sooo loosely. You are only being racist if you say that someone is inferior to you because of some aspect of their genetic heritage. You are not being racist because you ask them to speak English. I can ask a German, who is white just like me, to speak English. That does not make me a self-loathing white man, as your logic would suggest.

Also, if he was being xenophobic, he would say, "Our culture is far superior to Brazil's." He isn't. He's saying as long as you're in this country, please do as we do. Your culture is fine where you come from, this is the way we do it here. If I move to Florida, I don't wear a fur coat and build an igloo just because I grew up in Alaska. I do as the Floridians do.

Your compulsion to place other, often Third World cultures and their practicioners on pedestals while marginalizing and minimizing the significance of our own, or European-originated, cultures is part of why so much of the country has turned to the GOP.

I was surprised to read Snopes and find out this originated in the Bartow Trader from Cartesville, Georgia. I used to work in Cartersville. It's a town of 12,000, and the Bartow Trader is a classified ads paper put out by some husband-and-wife duo.

[MissB]

26. You see nothing wrong with this article?

As you put it, "I see nothing wrong with this guy's article".

Really, truly?

There is plenty wrong with the article.

[ArtieBoy]

28. Here's my take...

...on where we're going with this "tolerance" and "multi-cultural" stuff.

There is a road not far from me called South Cobb Drive. Previously all signs and ATMs were in English. Then, just a few years ago, the area began attracting a lot of Hispanics. So the billboards and ATMs became 50/50 English/Spanish. Now I can drive to South Cobb and the billboards are ALL Spanish, there are Spanish-speaking only stores, etc. The area is once again controlled by a single culture, only its not mine. But I'm betting you'll think that's fine because Hispanics are the "poor and oppressed," so if they want to take over an area and make it reflect their culture only that's okay, right?

In Los Angeles this same thing happened a long time ago. There are many areas of town where all signs are in Spanish, the stores speak Spanish,and if YOU aren't Spanish -- what the hell are you doing in our neighborhood? I also worked with a Dominican guy who assured me that if I ever visited the all-Dominican neighborhood he grew up in in the Bronx, I would have had my ass kicked silly! "A white guy like you...," he said, and shook his head.

So the truth is we will never all put our hair in dreadlocks and wear Rastafarian clothes and beat our bongo drums in unity to world music. All cultures are struggling for dominance all the time, and so if one has to win, I want it to be mine.

I wandered off topic. The points about this guy's alleged "racism" and "xenophobia" stand, though.

[Hailtothechimp]

30. September 11 again

No doubt it was a horrible, horrible thing that happened that day. But bu$h and so many others seem to out of their way to beat everyone over the head with it. If the person who wrote this had a family member or friend who died, or at least was in Manhattan when everything went down, it would be one thing. Otherwise, this person should shut up and keep all this drivel to themself.

[Kosmos Mariner]

31. not even in Tampa....

I doubt that this was a published article from the Tampa Tribune or the St. Petersburg Times. The Tribune leans right, but it is not bash you over the head, right wing craziness. It is much more subtle, occasional jabs at liberals, not highlighting W's ineptness, etc.. Tampa gets a lot of crap for being a haven for righty fundie types, but I think it is grossly overstated. I have posted about this before. Tampa might not be the most enlightened, cosmopolitan place in the world, but the people here are increasingly voting for progressive ideas. Look at the 2000 election results for Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties. Look at which state constitutional amendments passed in 2002. The majority here like the repug's personalities, but vote for Dem ideas. A 50-50 region that is getting younger, and will start to trend towards us. Conflicted, but not crazy!! :-)


:dem: