Thread: The mistaken allegiance of protesters

Wish I had written this!
One thing I can tell you is I have lived in a third world country for three years. On my return flight back to America as soon as I hit good old American soil, I kissed it and was thankful to back.
If you find yourself hating America, try leaving her for a while. You will come back feeling different.


The mistaken allegiance of protesters

By: Nicholas E. Roberti - Commentary

This conservative American is most disquieted by the recent events related to immigration policies.

The Congress conducts no serious comprehensive discussion, seeks no consensus, of what might be a desirable amount of immigration, job skill qualities or additional contract workers. Current proposals would make felons upward of 11 million hardworking people trapped between the failures of their homeland and our faulty immigration procedures and would build a 2,000-mile wall between us and a friendly neighbor. These radical notions are unworthy of us.

On a vague general amnesty bill, containing nothing to prevent the cycle's recurrence, irresponsible and politically motivated leaders want a vote now, absent any crisis.


Our misguided truant children demonstrate ---- understandably disturbed that friends and loved ones might soon be declared criminals subject to instant deportation, certainly not thinking critically, but influenced by demagogues whose agenda is unlimited immigration for Central Americans without thought of the implications for the future of their children and grandchildren.

With absurdly misplaced pride and affection, they carry foreign flags. How we have failed them!

Instead of being taught that each one is a true and precious American, that our strength is not in ancestry but in a commonality of shared convictions embodied in our unique and durable Constitution, they have, by the pernicious and trendy doctrine of multiculturalism, been led to indulge in the fantasy that their importance is somehow in identifying with and taking pride in the failed state their parents and grandfathers had fled. They wave the flag of that state, surely a formula for bitterness and self-defeat.

How different my childhood! Born into near poverty, of a despised immigrant group, considered, by ethnicity, irremediably stupid, childlike and risible, we immigrant kids then were lucky. Parents, often the first in the entire history of their families to be able to read and write, taught us that unlike the places they had abandoned at the agonizing price of separating from birthplace, parents and other loved ones, here we could aspire not only to literacy, but miracle of miracles, high school or even university.

Understanding what mindless, prejudiced people in other groups thought of us, we ignored them as irrelevant. From kindergarten on our teachers impressed upon us that our ethnicity was neither of interest nor consequence, that each of us was as American as any Mayflower descendant; that it was the mission of the school to help us realize our potential as Americans. Not one of us would ever consider any affinity, certainly not pride, for the opportunity-less nation-state with chronically corrupt and cynical governance from which our families had escaped.

My advice to the current children is this: By all means enjoy the food, music and customs of your families, and learn well the language of your parents. But never let anyone confuse you with the notion that your worth or identity is somehow bound up with that country you are blessed to be away from, or the flag that represents it. Seize your opportunities as Americans.

Nicholas E. Roberti lives in Oceanside.

One thing I can tell you is I have lived in a third world country for three years. On my return flight back to America as soon as I hit good old American soil, I kissed it and was thankful to back.
If you find yourself hating America, try leaving her for a while. You will come back feeling different.

I, too, lived in third world countries. I had tears of joy in my eyes more than once when I stepped on American soil knowing how fortunate we are to be here. I didn't kiss the soil, but I kissed my hand and touched the sidewalks in front of JFK Int'l Airport and in Atlanta. No joke!

Now, I live on the border that is still supposed to be US soil. But I know in my heart it isn't. That is the reason I will never give up this fight to save our country from its own blindness.

Yes, this is an outstanding article for which the writer should be proud.

Put me down as also havind lived in 3rd world countries .... Everyone should to know why you truely love America ... I like the article.

On a vague general amnesty bill, containing nothing to prevent the cycle's recurrence, irresponsible and politically motivated leaders want a vote now, absent any crisis.

Very good point. We need a law that will never again allow for mass amnesty. There really is on need for amnesty at all. Can anyone think of a reason? I'm calling my congressmen right now.

I, too, lived for years in third world countries....home on vacation every two years I left each time to return to the third world with ever greater reluctance. The day finally came when I refused to go anymore.

I love my country...love her even more since I've experienced much of the rest of this world.


America is precious...unique...irreplacable. We even have people here who don't bother to know the issues and don't vote...if you can imagine that. But they live in the same wonderful country that responsible citizens do...

I will fight for our country as long as I have any surviving ability to do so.

MJ

Quote:
On a vague general amnesty bill, containing nothing to prevent the cycle's recurrence, irresponsible and politically motivated leaders want a vote now, absent any crisis.


Very good point. We need a law that will never again allow for mass amnesty.

We have one. It was written after the FIRST mass amnesty which only involved a few million! Our gov't just refuses to enforce it.

I love my country...love her even more since I've experienced much of the rest of this world.


America is precious...unique...irreplacable. We even have people here who don't bother to know the issues and don't vote...if you can imagine that. But they live in the same wonderful country that responsible citizens do...

I will fight for our country as long as I have any surviving ability to do so.

MJ

For the last few years I've felt many emotions, most being anger and rage when it comes to this subject.I've never cried over this before. But reading what you said "American is precious, unique and irreplacable" just made me lose it. I cried like a baby. It's so true. I feel right now we are losing the battle. I'm not giving up, I will NEVER give up. It's just hard, sometimes it feels so hopeless. I see it in my town, changing everyday it's less and less like America. I feel so helpless to stop it.

I have never been to a 3rd world country -e xcept Mexico - and not too far inland there, but I do love, respect and appreciate my country. I also mourn for the things we have already lost and the things we are loosing daily.

While agreeing with the author as to American's uniquenss, etc., I don't really understand the rest of it.

I agree none of them should be demonstrating - because I don't think they have the right to demonstrate - unless they are American citizens - but I swear I just don't get it.

His premise that congress is going to rush out there and pass a bill 'absent any crisis'. Our present situation certainly seems like a crisis to me - and it is way past time for something to be done.

Also, he speaks as if we have never had a controlled border before and that we don't now have laws against coming here illegally.

His tone seems to say all those 'hardworking people' haven't done anything wrong, and that they are the victims here.

He is concerned about a fence between the US and a 'friendly neighbor'. I don't see Mexico as a friendly neighbor.

The Mexican Army protects drug dealers in bringing their death and destruction to America. There have been cases of the Mexican ARmy coming across our borders and firing on Border Patrol.

They encourage and abet their people coming here to take from American people and send the money home.

I don't see that as a 'friendly nation'.

So I first apologize if I have dissected this incorrectly and I sincerely want to be told where I am wrong.