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EarnedStripes44 · 07-13-2007, 12:27 PM

I'll say it again....I think the American way of life is not some monolithic cultural entity, its many things. I think its everyone's (you too) individual story of struggle, loss, growth, rebirth and achievement, all uniformity aside. That's my whole point, the fact that you can come to this country and be whomever you like, worship whatever; science, drugs, bigotry or women. I am not for, holding people to cultural standards. Your black friends obviously would not speak African, because that is not even a language. Is a black american a hip hopping gangster that the corporate record industry or media would have us believe? Absolutely NOT. There cultural identities were erased when there ancestors were on the auction block, they had to create new uniquely AMERICAN culture with what they could salvage out of the devastation of slavery. Not to mention, blacks were not even considered human when this country was founded, they were 3/5's a human being. There were slaves in Jamestown before there were pilgrims in Plymouth and the constitution did not even consider blacks Humans, let alone naturalized American citizens.To this day, the vast majority blacks struggle to find a foothold in a system that once enslaved them and then treated them as 2nd class citizens. Even now, the supreme court (with idiot Clarence Thomas, perfect example of a Black person with a cultural-identity crisis who voted against diversity in schools 2 weeks ago) is trying to undue the fabric of equality, liberty and privacy. As far as Italian-Americans our concerned, I only brought that up because of the following quote: ". Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all" - Ted Roosevelt. So I guess the naturalized 3rd generation Italian Americans of Little Italy and Orient Hts, who still to this day hold their traditions dear to them by virtue of identifying with ITALY are in fact not AMERICAN right!!!! Now on to native Americans, there situation speaks for itself. Native Americans fed the pilgrims, then the pilgrims killed them. Mr. Plymouth Rock, have you been to a Navajo Reservation, because I have been to Peach Springs, AZ to see the Huavapai, are they AMERICAN in the sense that you speak of. Tell me about the American way of life there. The indigenous american way of life. I am not going to say this again, its our diversity that makes us beautiful, we are the world's melting pot. We are the greatest country in the world, but your FEAR of the unknown is akin to the cancer that has gripped so many others. The same cancer that spawns racism and injustice. I know you prefer quoting Ted Roosevelt, but I prefer the likes of Plato and St. Thomas. So in that respect, out of respect of the goods of the human condition and flourishing, god bless America. So call me whatever you like....there is no need to get personal over a little intellectual discourse. By the way, I think the electoral system needs to be completely overhauled because incompetent fearful idiots like George W. Bush, our "decider" peresident, would not be elected. Only then, after election reform, should we talk about what languages ballots should be printed in.

07-13-2007, 12:27 PM	#17
EarnedStripes44 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Cambridge, MA Posts: 1,358	I'll say it again....I think the American way of life is not some monolithic cultural entity, its many things. I think its everyone's (you too) individual story of struggle, loss, growth, rebirth and achievement, all uniformity aside. That's my whole point, the fact that you can come to this country and be whomever you like, worship whatever; science, drugs, bigotry or women. I am not for, holding people to cultural standards. Your black friends obviously would not speak African, because that is not even a language. Is a black american a hip hopping gangster that the corporate record industry or media would have us believe? Absolutely NOT. There cultural identities were erased when there ancestors were on the auction block, they had to create new uniquely AMERICAN culture with what they could salvage out of the devastation of slavery. Not to mention, blacks were not even considered human when this country was founded, they were 3/5's a human being. There were slaves in Jamestown before there were pilgrims in Plymouth and the constitution did not even consider blacks Humans, let alone naturalized American citizens.To this day, the vast majority blacks struggle to find a foothold in a system that once enslaved them and then treated them as 2nd class citizens. Even now, the supreme court (with idiot Clarence Thomas, perfect example of a Black person with a cultural-identity crisis who voted against diversity in schools 2 weeks ago) is trying to undue the fabric of equality, liberty and privacy. As far as Italian-Americans our concerned, I only brought that up because of the following quote: ". Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all" - Ted Roosevelt. So I guess the naturalized 3rd generation Italian Americans of Little Italy and Orient Hts, who still to this day hold their traditions dear to them by virtue of identifying with ITALY are in fact not AMERICAN right!!!! Now on to native Americans, there situation speaks for itself. Native Americans fed the pilgrims, then the pilgrims killed them. Mr. Plymouth Rock, have you been to a Navajo Reservation, because I have been to Peach Springs, AZ to see the Huavapai, are they AMERICAN in the sense that you speak of. Tell me about the American way of life there. The indigenous american way of life. I am not going to say this again, its our diversity that makes us beautiful, we are the world's melting pot. We are the greatest country in the world, but your FEAR of the unknown is akin to the cancer that has gripped so many others. The same cancer that spawns racism and injustice. I know you prefer quoting Ted Roosevelt, but I prefer the likes of Plato and St. Thomas. So in that respect, out of respect of the goods of the human condition and flourishing, god bless America. So call me whatever you like....there is no need to get personal over a little intellectual discourse. By the way, I think the electoral system needs to be completely overhauled because incompetent fearful idiots like George W. Bush, our "decider" peresident, would not be elected. Only then, after election reform, should we talk about what languages ballots should be printed in.