Being tough on Muslims and illegals is crucial to their swift assimilation
Muslims and Illegals, let's lump them all together ;)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/opinion/16douthat.html?_r=1
During the great waves of 19th-century immigration, the insistence that new arrivals adapt to Anglo-Saxon culture — and the threat of discrimination if they didn’t — was crucial to their swift assimilation.
The same was true in religion. The steady pressure to conform to American norms, exerted through fair means and foul, eventually persuaded the Mormons to abandon polygamy, smoothing their assimilation into the American mainstream.
So it is today with Islam. The first America is correct to insist on Muslims’ absolute right to build and worship where they wish. But the second America is right to press for something more from Muslim Americans — particularly from figures like Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam behind the mosque — than simple protestations of good faith.
Too often, American Muslim institutions have turned out to be entangled with ideas and groups that most Americans rightly consider beyond the pale. Too often, American Muslim leaders strike ambiguous notes when asked to disassociate themselves completely from illiberal causes.
By global standards, Rauf may be the model of a “moderate Muslim.” But global standards and American standards are different. For Muslim Americans to integrate fully into our national life, they’ll need leaders who don’t describe America as “an accessory to the crime” of 9/11 (as Rauf did shortly after the 2001 attacks), or duck questions about whether groups like Hamas count as terrorist organizations (as Rauf did in a radio interview in June). And they’ll need leaders whose antennas are sensitive enough to recognize that the quest for inter-religious dialogue is ill served by throwing up a high-profile mosque two blocks from the site of a mass murder committed in the name of Islam.
They’ll need leaders, in other words, who understand that while the ideals of the first America protect the e pluribus, it’s the demands the second America makes of new arrivals that help create the unum.
So go out there and kick some ass ;)
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Wait..., what? No!
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Our civilization is not indestructible: It needs to be actively defended. This was perhaps Huntington's most important insight. The first step towards winning this clash of civilizations is to understand how the other side is waging it—and to rid ourselves of the One World illusion. Side: True
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If we don't force them to assimilate into our civilization, then they'll force us to assimilate into theirs and I prefer scantily clad women over burqa wearing women ;) Side: True
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There's a difference between "being tough on" a religion or culture, and disregarding constitutional rights when it comes to a particular religion. The fact is the "ground zero mosque" is another fox manufactured story like death panels. First it is not a mosque, it is a community center which welcomes everyone and with the top two floors only dedicated as a place where Muslims can pray, but it is not the same as a church or a temple. Next, last I checked zoning was a local issue, and the local board voted unanimously to allow the community center. Why on earth is what a community does with their land suddenly every Republican's business? My guess is that if Obama were Jones and white then Fox never would have bothered covering this "story". Maybe I'm wrong about that, but it seems Fox simply saw an opportunity to create another "us against them" wedge issue. Most important of course is that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." I find it ironic (again) that those who most loudly screech Constitution this and Constitution that are the first to ignore it when they think the majority is not happy with some aspect of it. The Constitution was written in large part to protect the minority from the majority in cases such as this. You're allowed to not like it, you're even allowed to protest it, but you're not allowed to stop the establishment this community center. Anthony Weiner has taken the smartest and most constitutionally correct route as a representative I've seen thus far in simply refusing to state his personal opinion but making it clear he by law was not allowed to make any judgment concerning its establishment. That is the role of our representatives, this witch hunt the right wing has started is not worthy of our representatives. Finally, it is interesting that Rauf is suddenly the bad guy. It was only a few months ago Fox was singing his praises when he was a guest. His speech about the US involved in these countries may have played a hand in 9/11 was an opinion (I do not share but,) which was shared by even some on Fox like Glenn Beck only a couple years ago. There is little if any intellectual honesty here. There is no proof or even suspicion thus far that Rauf has been anything but a helpful figure in smoothing over US and other Muslim nation's relations. At any rate, it does not matter. Legally the facts are clear and this has gone from what was at first a call for the government to somehow disallow the building of this community center, to some kind of purity test where the right wing excepts legally there is nothing to do, but demands everyone on earth say how horrible this is or they are a terrorist. Well it's dumb and I won't play. All religion is retarded, and Muslims are no more or less retarded than any other religion and have the right to build whatever they like on land they own. Side: Wait..., What? No!
Your Muslim loving argument is fine and all, but you only addressed a small part of this debate. As Americans we must define a culture for the country and stick with it. We must be tough and assimilate foreigners and strengthen our country through our unity. Side: Wait..., What? No!
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Why are you so infatuated with Fox News? There's is nothing here about Fox or from Fox. The fact that Fox is covering this story has no bearing. As far as the rest, all I personally want is for the leaders of that mosque to openly and strongly denounce the terrorists and their actions. Otherwise they are just like any other politician playing both sides of the fence against the middle and we don't need any more politicians and their mosque should thus not be built. BTW, maybe the local zoning board voted to allow the mosque to be built so that New Yorkers can then torch it down to the ground as retribution ;) Side: True
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