Maybe the Minuteman Project Is a Good Idea
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has praised the Minuteman Project, AP reports. The governor said the group has done a good job of cutting down on illegal border crossings.
Make no mistake, there is an underlying xenophobia in the Minuteman Project. You can see it in their mission statement which makes no mention of terrorism but does say:
[T]he men and women volunteering for this mission are those who are willing to sacrifice their time, and the comforts of a cozy home, to muster for something much more important than acquiring more "toys" to play with while their nation is devoured and plundered by the menace of tens of millions of invading illegal aliens.
Future generations will inherit a tangle of rancorous, unassimilated, squabbling cultures with no common bond to hold them together, and a certain guarantee of the death of this nation as a harmonious "melting pot."
That is not the mission statement of a group concerned with the economic or security consequences of an unprotected border. This a group who’s paranoid that their culture will be supplanted by a foreign one.
That’s discomforting, but does it make the project a bad idea? Our southern border is terribly unprotected. The numerous economic consequences of illegal immigration would alone give need to better protection. Add to that the ease with which terrorists could enter the country and the Minuteman Project doesn’t seem all that crazy of an idea.
There are literally hundreds of men and women willing to stand guard on our borders for free. Is there not some way for state governments or the federal government to use this energy to create an official corps of minutemen volunteers? A little training and a few sensible regulations is probably be all that would be required to turn this group into an asset.
It’s worth looking into. Maybe Schwarzenegger’s California can lead the way.
posted by Alan Stewart Carl @ 3:47 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
"This a group who’s paranoid that their culture will be supplanted by a foreign one."
And there is something wrong with this?
Vigilantes step in where government is derelict or defficient. That's the American way. It would be better if professionally trained and armed officers patrolled our borders.
Whatever is our "National" Guard doing patrolling Iraqi borders? They are needed here!
Bring them home now, is what I say.
As the Earlier poster said...
"This a group who’s paranoid that their culture will be supplanted by a foreign one."
There's something wrong with that?
I cannot believe that the Yellow Line has the audacity to write such an ignorant statement.
There is absoultely NOTHING wrong with immingration. However, "muli-culturalism" will be the downfall of the USA.
Multi-culturalism should not be allowed. If you come to this country to live you should be required to read and write English and to assimilate to OUR culture - not the other way around.
That is not a racist or insensitive statement. It is an "America First" statement.
Vigilante d'Sozadee - I take it that you are referring to the Minuteman Project. Sorry, but they are not vigilantes in any way, shape, or form. A vigilante is someone who takes the law into their own hands, acting as judge, jury, and executioner.
The MMP was nothing more than a Citizens Watch group that did NOTHING remotely resembling vigilantism.
While I believe immigrants should be expected to assimilate, I also think it’s important to recognize that American culture is the direct result of numerous immigrant groups adding their distinct culture to ours. We do not want entire towns or regions operating as if they were a part of another country, but nor is it a problem that Boston has Irish festivals, San Antonio has Mexican festivals, San Francisco has Chinese festivals, etc. I am proud of my Scottish/Irish heritage and imagine most Americans feel the same way about their heritage. And I enjoy going to Greek festivals and Chinese New Year celebrations and all the other unique cultural events that, in my mind, make America so great.
Multi-culturism is not a problem in its celebratory sense. It should not be used as an excuse to tolerate unacceptable behavior or anti-american sentiments, but there’s nothing wrong with diversity.
In terms of the Minutemen, I don’t think there’s much evidence that illegal immigration is destroying our culture. Or, at least there’s not much evidence that the negative cultural effects are anywhere near as severe as the negative economic effects and the terrorist threats. Our culture, particularly in the south, is already heavily influenced by Hispanic culture. And, speaking as a once and future resident of San Antonio, Texas, this form of Hispanic culture is both positive and fully American.
So while I think the Minutemen can provide a useful service to our country, I do not think there is nearly the threat to our culture that this group perceives.
earlier statements:
Anonymous said...
As the Earlier poster said...
"This a group who’s paranoid that their culture will be supplanted by a foreign one."
There's something wrong with that?
I cannot believe that the Yellow Line has the audacity to write such an ignorant statement.
There is absoultely NOTHING wrong with immingration. However, "muli-culturalism" will be the downfall of the USA.
Multi-culturalism should not be allowed. If you come to this country to live you should be required to read and write English and to assimilate to OUR culture - not the other way around.
That is not a racist or insensitive statement. It is an "America First" statement.
2:23 PM
MY REPLY>>>
i respect all of you on this thread for speaking your minds...
and here is what's on my mind:
it is possible that one day soon we will begin to see earth as a whole? and not man-made divisions, borders, and territories?
there is NOTHING wrong with mulit-culturalism.
do you live in a rural area or what?
in the major US cities, there exists multi-culturalism at the deepest levels, and its beautiful. I love having the option to explore food from hundreds of places, music, art, etc...just by living in ONE city. that is the beauty of this country. and please bring it fourth more so each day, I am tired of the ideologies around cultural assimilation... how boring! especially when American Culture is now a series of advertisements and clever product placements. Its a culture of over-consumption that goes down a little easier with healthy servings of other cultures! We could all enrich one another's lives in soooo many ways, with a slight opening of the heart and mind, all is possible. Instead its:
divide and conquer! divide and conquer! divide and conquer! its been going on for CENTURIES... and its really getting old.
i praise multi-culturalism and i envision a world where human beings are no longer afraid of each other's differences.
"They say i'm a dreamer, but i'm not the only one." John Lennon, Imagine.
AN ANoNyMouS AfTeRTHOUGHT>>>
in response to:
Multi-culturalism should not be allowed. If you come to this country to live you should be required to read and write English and to assimilate to OUR culture - not the other way around.
That is not a racist or insensitive statement. It is an "America First" statement.
------------------------------
so then... should 'we' as 'Americans' learn the language and Customs of all NATIVE AMERICAN peoples... as this land REALLY is THEIR land... , the Native Peoples have been forced off their land, had their languages erased, and their cultures eradicated. I think its time we learn their languages and cultures out of respect, and grattitue to live in this beautiful country. Just a thought, i feel its important to remember the history of the land in which we stand.
In response to the this post by Anyonomous
"...in the major US cities, there exists multi-culturalism at the deepest levels, and its beautiful. I love having the option to explore food from hundreds of places, music, art, etc...just by living in ONE city..." 6:09AM
I would suggest that the cuisine and art multi-culturalism in your example is actually the most superficial level of multiculturalism. Even in major cities, the vast majority of people operate with similar cultural assumptions, the most obvious being a common language, but also including, for instance, and American identity, faith in hard work, progress, and democracy.
In one sense, multi-culturalism can mean simply more options on the American buffet table. When multi-culturalism is truly deep however, it poses a threat to values we hold so deeply that we almost don't know they exist.
I don't know how much of a risk hispanic immigration poses, but it must be recognized that there is a limit to multi-culturalism, and when it is crossed the integrity of our country will be lost.
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