Thread: Multiculturalism & A Tale of Two Protests

A Tale of Two Protests

Column by Santiago Valenzuela - Aug 18, 2006

Multiculturalism is a word that is bandied about very often, both sneered at and supported, but too rarely defined.

Multiculturalism is a virulent mindset which, on its face, states that moral judgments between cultures are impossible.

In short, because morals are a product of culture and not of objective fact, there is no legitimate reason to state that the culture of a disease-ridden, poverty-stricken tribe in Africa is inferior to that of the skyscraper-building, jet-flying Western cultures.

It is worthy to note that in practice, multiculturalists do not mind condemning one specific culture — greedy, selfish, materialist “Western” culture, which is seen as an evil oppressor and exploiter of these other, more spiritual, less advanced cultures.

It is never said that other cultures must become tolerant of Western ideals. Rather, the strong, powerful West must bend over backwards to accommodate itself to other, primitive cultures, no matter how hateful, prejudiced or insidious they may be.

America, however, is built on the idea that new citizens will appreciate America’s superiority over their homelands and that the system that sustains this superiority is worth defending. In both theory and in practice, multiculturalism’s only result and goal is to turn America’s lifeblood against it, transforming the source of new, productive labor and some of its best citizens into hateful tribes demanding that the “oppressive” dominant culture accommodate their own traditions and pay them back for past imagined sins.

Opposite multiculturalism is capitalism. By joining the marketplace and observing prosperous people of diverse and disparate cultures, new immigrants can observe that their old traditions are not, in fact, their defining characteristic. Instead they can choose to have productive lives, free of tribal responsibilities and allegiances.

Throughout America’s history, immigrants have come here by the millions, and have contributed to the greatness of the country, not by adhering to their old traditions and demanding accommodations, nor by being forced to take on any artificial “American” culture, but by realizing that such traditionalism does them no good, and will get them nowhere in a free country. That rather than appeal to moldy tradition, a man in a free country must appeal to the self-interest of the men he is dealing with.

These two opposing mentalities were recently put on stark display in two American cities.

A bill came up in the House of Representatives, HR4437, which would make it a criminal offense to come here illegally or to “harbor” these illegals. In response, millions marched against the bill. The responses across the nation varied greatly.

The differing motivations of the protesters in two cities in particular correspond to the two paths that lie open to immigrants in America, and the consequences of each. The paths are those of capitalism, freedom, and prosperity, or multiculturalism, stagnation, and civil war. The two cities are Los Angeles, California and Dallas, Texas.

In Dallas, the protests went peacefully, and (as the protest organizers had requested) the whole route was a sea of American flags, with many pro-American posters and banners being waved. It was a display of how immigrants are, in fact, “assimilated” into America. This assimilation takes place not by rote teaching of traditions, holidays, or even history.

Instead, this assimilation manifests itself as an appreciation for the greatness of this country. It is the protestor’s recognition that they voluntarily moved here for a reason, that reason being that they felt that this country was better, that it had more opportunities for them and that its way of life, with a freedom to live, create and work without (much) government interference, is worth defending. They put on display the best that America has to offer, a simple desire not to have prosperity handed to you on a silver platter, but merely to be given the chance to make your way in the world. (MORE)...

http://www.theatlasphere.com/columns/06 ... otests.php

In Dallas, the protests went peacefully, and (as the protest organizers had requested) the whole route was a sea of American flags, with many pro-American posters and banners being waved. It was a display of how immigrants are, in fact, “assimilated” into America.

Assimilation means never having to be told which flag to carry and support!