The cultural war conducted in this country, once referred to as The United States of America is being lost. In southern California, because of fears the open display of the American Flag as is often adorned on shirts and such clothing might offend somebody of another culture assimilated into the American culture. The personal rights of individuals seeking to express their cultural awareness and pride can’t express their pride because thugs on either side of the flags flown might want to fight.
Is this America, Mexico or North Korea? To my knowledge California was stolen from the Native Americans by Hispanics who now say they’re oppressed by Anglo (American) culture. Have the chickens come home to roost and in this manner somehow allowed discrimination against other native born American citizens? Do Mexican Americans now hold sway over the Anglo-American citizens living near them in communities? When did it become the point in American culture where a malefactor can threaten a disruption and not be punished when he starts the fight?
If it’s an Anglo starts throwing down – BUST HIM! If it’s a Hispanic starts the action – BUST HIM! Then throw them in the same cell and let the winner walk out. Neither has the right to breach the peace or gain immunity from prosecution for that breach. Civilization breaks down when the evil of man’s nature is allowed to intimidate the citizens of any community. Law Enforcement has NO business selectively enforcing laws meant to protect all citizens. All should suffer the personal consequences of their ill-advised actions.
The young men at Live Oak High School south of San Francisco didn’t go far enough with their silent protest. They wore Red, White and Blue representations of flags as clothing on the day some of the locals celebrated Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican equivalent of America’s Fourth of July. Because of past incidences of violence it was decided the Anglos ONLY had to turn their coats (shirts) to prevent fights.
The school's administrators (led either by Principal Nicholas L. Boden or Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez) made the decision to act ONLY against the Anglos. It should be noted the School Disciplinarian is normally the Assistant Principal. One Mexican-American student stated, "I think they should apologize ‘cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day. We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July.”
I agree you probably wouldn’t young man. If you’re still in school on the Fourth of July it’s probably because you’re in summer school either advancing your grade point average or trying to correct a deficiency. But how is it disrespectful to celebrate America on ANY day. You have rights and liberties here your compadres in Mexico don’t have and many come here to garner.
This seems a matter of cowardice on the part of the community to enforce the law evenly and without regard to the flavor of the community be it based on the piquancy of salsa or the savory nature of a vanilla existence. Everybody on the Left Coast wants to be more equal than the next guy. A civil rights proponent from California once told me the prevailing ethic in California was: “it’s okay for you to be my equal, just do it in your own neighborhood.” It made me miss the Kennedys.
Emma Lazarus, in her poem The New Colossus, wrote: "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Noble words indeed except for one major point: every one of the kids involved in this mess is a native born American citizen. None fit the bill offered back in the 19th century as Lazarus bid to have her words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. It was a gimmick then and it’s a poorly abused gimmick now.
If the Hispanic kids want to wear the flag of the nation they “culturally” identify with; then the Anglo kids wanting to identify with the culture they respect and admire should be allowed to; any damned day they choose to and local law enforcement should be there to watch their backs on both sides of the flags.
Maybe the kids with Irish surnames should fly Irish colors. Romanians should fly their flag. Japanese, Koreans and Chines should wear their flags. But each one of them should be shown as crossed with the American Flag and recognizing each has benefited from the culture of the other. NOT!
Theodore Roosevelt spoke to the largely Irish Catholic Knights of Columbus on Columbus Day 1915, asserting:
“There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all … The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality, than with the other citizens of the American Republic … There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else.”
Woodrow Wilson, a president I have little good to say about because of his patrician, paternalist progressivism did say one thing I find of value. He said: "Any man who carries a hyphen about with him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic whenever he gets ready.” Roosevelt, Wilson and Lazarus have walked into history based on their words. I will now try to do the same.
I say: AMERICA! LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT! Otherwise shut up, go back to class and learn something.
Thanks for listening
