EVERYONE on this planet should read this!

PowermacG4_450

OS X Jaguar
got this from a friend via email...

I think it states what clearly needs repeating.
Love and
GOD BLESS AMERICA,
George and Leslie
----------------------


SOMEONE FINALLY SAID IT. I think everyone on this planet needs to read this. This was sent by a 78-year old former nun. The Thoughts are pure and we all understand the point....

There are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some native Americans, need to understand.

First of all, it is not our responsibility to continually try not to offend you in any way. 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, called the "American Way" has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

Our forefathers fought, bled, and died at places such as Bunker Hill, Antietam, San Juan, Iwo Jima, Normandy, Korea, Vietnam...

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

In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some off-the-wall, Christian, Right Wing, political slogan - it is our national motto. It is engraved in stone in the House of Representatives in our Capitol and it is printed on our currency. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation and this is clearly documented throughout our history. If it
Is appropriate for our motto to be inscribed in the halls of our highest
Level of Government, then it is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls
of our schools.

God is in our pledge, our National Anthem, nearly every patriotic song, and in our founding documents. We honor His birth, death, and resurrection as holidays, and we turn to Him in prayer in times of crisis. 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 and we are proud to have Him.

We are proud of our heritage and those who have so honorably defended our freedoms. We celebrate Independence Day, Memorial Day,
Veterans Day, and Flag Day. We have parades, picnics, and barbecues
where we proudly wave our flag.

As an American, I have the right wave my flag, sing my national anthem, quote my national motto, and recite my pledge whenever and wherever
I choose. If the 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.

The American culture is our way of life, our heritage, and we are proud of it.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. Like it or not, this is our country, our land, and our lifestyle.

Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion about our government, culture, or society, 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 to take advantage of one other great American freedom:

THE RIGHT TO LEAVE!

Another thing: To those who do complain about the usage of words like 'God' and 'American' and speaking the language of our great nation,

TRY GOING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY AND SPEAK AGAINST WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE. YOU WILL MORE THAN LIKELY END UP JAILED OR EVEN KILLED.

In America, you take your right to complain for granted. The more patriotism that is removed from where our children are taught, the less our
children will learn about what it is to be an American and our nation's spirit will slowly be killed. Keep patriotism alive.

If you agree, pass this on to other Americans! It is time to take a stand!

God Bless America and our Military and our Veterans!
 
Originally posted by PowermacG4_450
our own language...

We speak English
...
Originally posted by PowermacG4_450
God Bless America and our Military and our Veterans!
The american military has done nothing good since 1945*, other than illegaly stop an election in veitnam and then kill loads of its people, did pretty much nothing overall in Korea and pussied out of fighting the Iranians so your government installed Mr Hussien in Iraq and sold him weapons to kill the Iranians. God Bless America indeed.


*to make it clear I, like everyone in Europe, am very glad America helped in WWII.
 
Not all the world thinks like Bush, Blair or Berlusconi... not even in US, UK or rest of 'civilizedì World.
 
Loved the picture and I'm American too.

The biggest problems suffered by Americans are that our country is so big that we really have no sense of the rest of the world and that, militarily speaking, we tred a two sided dagger. We are damned if we do and damned if we don't. I once heard someone say that it was America's job to police the planet, yet if we do that we are under constant fire from our international counterparts for placing our nose where it doesn't belong.

I believe that American's perceptions of the world would change if our government would stop coddling us and protecting us from the threats the rest of the world faces constantly.

There I've said my peace.
 
well stated.

living in the arab world, i am constantly amazed that americans can't suss out that the way to pull the rug out from under the feet of fundo-terrorists is to solve the problem in palestine.

that is not all that difficult, just give the palestinians a contiguous land mass as their state according to UN SC resolutions and the treaties that Israel has signed on to (Oslo for one). Guarantee the existence of a palestinian state, and help them establish a civil society.

We're talking about the good will of one fifth of the world's people here. Surely that is more in the national interest than supporting the territorial greed of about half of the Israeli public. Especially when it is a principle of self determination.

lots to say, but it is a macos board...
 
"Love it or leave it" is what the Nazis were saying to the Jews in the 30's.

The truest freedom we have is:
"Love it, or make it better so you can love it"
 
Originally posted by JohnnyV
America doesn't have an offically declared language.
California does!

A few years ago the "wise" people of this state voted for an "English First" proposition. (It might have even been an amendment to the CA Constitution, but I can't remember for sure.)

To me this is right up there with our CA legistlators telling me that I can NOT marry the man of my choice. (The same person I've been together & in love with for over 11 years now!) I'm not quite sure how that actually acheives the goal of "defending marrage".

Sorry for ranting...
 
I'm sorry, PowermacG4_450, but that kind of texts makes me sick. It just creates an even greater anti-american movement. You are not the oldest, nor the greatest. you are not always right.
I thought nobody really spoke about the whole "american way"-thing seriously.
But as written: everyone is entitled an opinion.
 
Americans wear blinders. We are consumers of the rest of the world's resources. We are responsible for much suffering. We wear people's lives on our feet, then throw them away. We refuse to cooperate with environmental responsibility. Our country is practically run by drug and oil coorporations.

I refuse to leave America.

I demand a better America.

America has the potential to save the human race, or destroy it. Which do you think America is doing right now?

I'm not even going to touch the religious half of this discussion, out of respect for people's spirituality.
 
Simple answers to complex questions usually don't lead to long lasting solutions.
 
This "love it or leave it" kind of mentality is both simplistic and dangerous. It is (as another poster mentioned) the sort of thing that the Nazis told the Jews back in the day. But worse than that, it ignores an essential part of what has made the US what it is.

First, this sentiment is a direct contradiction of the entire "melting pot" philosophy of the US, instead displaying an intolerance and meanspiritedness that is both uncharacteristic and harmful. While "In God We Trust" is generally accepted as a national slogan, it is not the first, nor the best at expressing the plurality that makes up the US. The official slogan that better does that is "E Pluribus Unum" - "From Many, One".

Second, it's very sloppy thinking to on one hand say "In America, you take your right to complain for granted." and on the other hand to demand that those who do leave the country. All that is saying is "You can believe/say what ever you want, unless you disagree with me. If you do, get out of my country." That is not patriotism, that's nationalism. There is a difference.

While I'm at it, let me point out a couple of other things that bother me about posts like this:

"In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some off-the-wall, Christian, Right Wing, political slogan - it is our national motto.

No, it is exactly a that. "In God We Trust" was not adopted until 1956, during the height of McCarthyism in the US, in part as a way to distance ourselves from the godless, atheistic, communist threat that we percieved as our greatest foe. A good primer for this at http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_mott.htm - which goes into the history of the phrase and its opposition by past presidents. In the end, the lobbying power of Protestent organizations won out and it began appearing on currency (and everywhere else) the next year.

We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation and this is clearly documented throughout our history.

Again, wrong. The documentation shows quite the opposite: http://www.dimensional.com/~randl/founders.htm - At the most, some of the founding fathers were Deists, but that is not the same as founding a nation on Christian ideals. Thomas Jefferson said "Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law." Unfortunately, the myth of the US being a Chrisitan-founded nation persists, despite the huge amount of evidence to the contrary.

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

No. We speak English, and Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and many other languages. The US does not, nor should it, have an official state language. To suggest that everyone who comes here should have to learn our English is both meanspirited and hypocritical. How many Americans travel abroad without becoming fluent in the local language of their destinations? More than that, it again displays a nationalism which is inappropriate for a country who claims to be tolerant and accepting of all peoples. Personally, I think it's very interesting to see other languages being used in the public arena. Even George W. Bush speaks some Spanish, which probably came in handy while governer of Texas, which has a sizable Mexican-American population.

BTW, Mexican-Americans have, according to the 2000 census, become the predominant ethnic minority in the US. It only stand to reason that as their numbers continue to grow, we'll see increasing influences on our culture.

Personally, I think that the "nun" who is supposed to have written the original post was a twit.

I could go on, but I've probably said too much already.. :)
 
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, called the "American Way" has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.


It is central feature of American history, that there is no such thing as an etnic "american" race. Almost all original inhabitants of America have been almost completely wiped out. What population lives today in the USA can trace their ancestory back to the "old world". In anthropological terms it would take another half a million years before the current melting-pot could be called it's own race. America is essentailly multicultural and what identity it has has been constructed upon this fact. I cannot really see how this would "dilute sovereingty". Centuries of struggels I'll accept, but since America can be said to have a national history not yet three have passed... I do not think you are seriously calling "the American way" a culture. If I were to think that you really mean that, I would think you were offending America. There is much much more to American culture that can be expressed by "the American way", just like there is much more to e.g. Italian culture than what can be expressed by "Pizza".

Our forefathers fought, bled, and died at places such as Bunker Hill, Antietam, San Juan, Iwo Jima, Normandy, Korea, Vietnam...

So? Do you think that was a good thing in itself? As far as I know my forefathers have fought on the wrong sides in WW II, Germany and Italy. I am proud of having their cultural heritage, but not because they fought and died. War is in itself a bad thing, to be used only a last measure, sacrificing life for higher ideals, like Honor and Truth, not for Pride or Greed (which is a sin according to christians).

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

Since this was already commented upon I will refrain from making further comments. It occurs to me however that you keep speaking of "you" and "our". Who exactly are you talking to ? Potential immigrants? Ignorant children?

"In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some off-the-wall, Christian, Right Wing, political slogan - it is our national motto. It is engraved in stone in the House of Representatives in our Capitol and it is printed on our currency. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation and this is clearly documented throughout our history. If it is appropriate for our motto to be inscribed in the halls of our highest
Level of Government, then it is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls
of our schools.


Correctly you say if. Now think very hard about it. IF. And what if not? I do not believe in your god. Will you kill me? deport me? make me believe? The Inquisition believed in god too. If you exclude people with a different opinion and beliefs, you will be left with a very small, narrow minded and fundamentalistic bunch. Like, say, Al-Quaida. They trust in god too. Their god that is, not your god. Despite historical evidence that they probably are the same deity... Please don't brainwash children.

God is in our pledge, our National Anthem, nearly every patriotic song, and in our founding documents. We honor His birth, death, and resurrection as holidays, and we turn to Him in prayer in times of crisis. 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 and we are proud to have Him.

God is a nosy old busybody... ;) Fine: trust in god, believe in god by all means. Just keep in mind that god said "Love your neighbor like yourself" which includes the Taliban, and said "Thou shalst not kill", so why don't you disarm for instance and keep only defensive equipment at most, and "If struck on your left cheek, don't strike back, but show your right cheek". 9-11 was a divine punishment for America's sins. The end is near: penitenziagite! /sarcasm.

We are proud of our heritage and those who have so honorably defended our freedoms. We celebrate Independence Day, Memorial Day,
Veterans Day, and Flag Day. We have parades, picnics, and barbecues where we proudly wave our flag.


That is indeed mostly a good idea to keep historical awareness alive. Try not to make it sound too folkloristic... I wonder exactly whose freedoms Americans have defended since the independence war...

As an American, I have the right wave my flag, sing my national anthem, quote my national motto, and recite my pledge whenever and wherever I choose.

So have I. But you have to admit that there are less appropriate occasions and moments for doing it. There are limits to freedom, because without limits, freedom would carry no meaning.

If the 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.

I do live in another part of the planet. After reading your post, I consider myself lucky too ... ;)

The American culture is our way of life, our heritage, and we are proud of it.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. Like it or not, this is our country, our land, and our lifestyle.

That's very nice, but sounds a bit more static than reality is. Customs change and evolve continually. Especially in the period between 1950 and 2000 a lot of social changes have occurred. What/Who exactly are you admiring? The Founding Fathers? Jefferson? The Hippy generation? McCarthy?
"We really don't care how you did things where you came from" That is rude and offensive. Everybody can (and should try to) learn from internal criticism and cultures different than their own. I for instance have just learned a lot of things about American nationalism. :)

Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion about our government, culture, or society, 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 to take advantage of one other great American freedom: THE RIGHT TO LEAVE!

I don't care a lot to whine about flag, pledge, or motto, and only marginally about your way of life. What I do care about are your politics, economy and military action abroad. I disagree with most of these and I have reasons for it, which I am willing to debate. Yet you take no interest in how things are done by others. You have the right not to listen, but in the long run if every single USA citizen would take this attitude it would be very harmful to America.

Another thing: To those who do complain about the usage of words like 'God' and 'American' and speaking the language of our great nation,
TRY GOING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY AND SPEAK AGAINST WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE. YOU WILL MORE THAN LIKELY END UP JAILED OR EVEN KILLED.


That is true of a lot of backward, poor, isolated, religiously fundamentalist nations. Yet it is very sad that things like this appear to be possible in America too. Would the first amendment permit me to burn an American flag in front of the White House? You are trying to get rid of people who speak against your country and make them leave. That is a very chaep and easy way of granting amendments, if you can make sure nobody is going to need them.

In America, you take your right to complain for granted. The more patriotism that is removed from where our children are taught, the less our children will learn about what it is to be an American and our nation's spirit will slowly be killed. Keep patriotism alive.

Patriottism should have no need of being taught.
If you are in need of teaching patriottism, there is something wrong with your country. Patriottism should arise spontaneously, because you are proud of your country, not because "daddy said so".

If you agree, pass this on to other Americans! It is time to take a stand!

But against / for what exactly?

God Bless America and our Military and our Veterans!

I will not insult you by laughing, but know that I am deeply concerned about opinions like this. You definitely confirmed my worst prejudices about America, and I'm not happy about it... :(

We are all human beings.
Peace. Human beings are one race. :)

I completely agree! :) Don't empasize differences, look for the common ground you have. Try to understand each other, learn from each other! Get rid of those eyeflaps!

[Edited mostly for typo's ;) I was quite agitated :) ...]
 
I totally agree with Cat! I have been lucky to have some american friends so i know that far from all americans are flag-waving nationalists without self-distance. But crap like this really scares me. We have had enough of nationalism in Europe, i thought our misstakes had been a good lesson for the world. obviously some people have skipped history-class :)
 
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