I have been inundated recently with the stupid email "Hello! This
is America!"
Following is the email in its entirety. Below is my response:
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THIS SAYS IT ALL!
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma - School officials
remove "God Bless America"
signs from schools in fear that someone
might be offended.
Long Island, New York - Channel 12 News
orders flags removed from the
newsroom and red, white, and blue ribbons
removed from the lapels of
reporters. Why? Management did not want
to appear biased and felt that
our nations flag might give the appearance
that "they lean one way or another".
Berkeley, California - U.S. Flags are
forbidden from being displayed on city
fire trucks because they didn't want
to offend anyone in the community.
In an "act of tolerance" the head of
the public library at Florida Gulf
Coast University ordered all "Proud
to be an American" signs removed so
as to not offend international students.
I, for one, am quite disturbed by these
actions of so-called American
citizens; and I am tired of this nation
worrying about whether or not we
are offending some individual or their
culture. Since the terrorist
attacks on September 11, we have experienced
a surge in patriotism by
the majority of Americans. However,
the dust from the attacks had barely
settled in New York and Washington D.C.
when the "politically correct"
crowd began complaining about the possibility
that our patriotism was
offending others.
I am not against immigration, nor do
I hold a grudge against anyone who
is seeking a better life by coming to
America. In fact, our country's
population is almost entirely comprised
of descendants of immigrants;
however, 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 multi-cultural
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 to wave my flag, sing my
national anthem, quote my national motto,
and cite 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. We are
Americans, 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 take advantage
of one other great American
freedom, the right to leave.
If you agree, pass this on to other
Americans!
It is time to take a stand!
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Sept. 13th. In San Francisco, a
bag of blood was thrown at an immigration
office that serves Arabs. An anonymous
caller told a paralegal that he had
left a package "for your brother Osama
bin Laden."
In Suffolk County, N.Y., a man who screamed
that he was "doing this for my
country" tried to run down a Pakistani
woman with his car.
In Gary, Ind., a man in a ski mask fired
an assault rifle at a gas
station worker of Yemeni descent.
Channel 12 News in Long Island, New
York, orders flags removed from the
newsroom and red, white, and blue ribbons
removed from the lapels of reporters.
Management did not want to appear biased
and felt that our nations flag
might give the appearance that "they
lean one way or another".
Why?
Dozens of individual attacks were reported
across the country -- cab
drivers were pulled from their vehicles
and beaten up, office workers
threatened on the street, and women
in Muslim garb verbally harassed.
A mosque in Denton, Texas, sustained
thousands of dollars of damage after
an unknown assailant pitched a Molotov
cocktail at the building. Another
firebomb exploded at an Arab-American
community center in Chicago.
In Irving, Texas, six shots were fired
into a window of the Islamic Center.
Bricks were thrown through the windows
of Arabic bookstores in several
locations; and Muslim businesses in
Maryland were the targets of suspicious fires.
Why?
Berkeley, California bans U.S. Flagsfrom
being displayed on city fire trucks
because they didn't want to offend anyone
in the community.
Bigotry was on glaring display on the
Internet. Online bulletin boards
were filled with anti-Arab venom. "If
you see any of these (Arab)
piss-ant's from now on, lets strip off
their head-wear, men and women and
spit on their faces. They should leave
this country." At the conservative
Free Republic, a poster demanded that
the United States "revoke the green
cards and student visas of all residents
of middle-eastern countries immediately.
In an "act of tolerance" the head of
the public library at Florida Gulf
Coast University ordered all "Proud
to be an American" signs removed so as
to not offend international students.
Meanwhile, even as government officials
begged for tolerance, conservative
pundits stoked the flames of religious
hatred. In her syndicated column,
Ann Coulter penned wrote, "We know who
the homicidal maniacs are. They are
the ones cheering and dancing right
now. We should invade their countries,
kill their leaders and convert them
to Christianity."
I, for one, am quite disturbed by these
actions of so-called American
citizens; and I am tired of this nation
worrying about whether or not we are
offending some individual or their culture.
I, for one, am quite disturbed by these
actions of so-called American
citizens; and I am tired of this nation
worrying more about whether some
school isn't allowed to force the students
to salute the flag or a fire
department isn't allowed to put up a
"God Bless America" poster, than they
are about their own fellow American
citizens being slandered, verbally
abused or physically assaulted for either
"looking" different or not
sharing in their xenophobia or inappropriate
displays of nationalism.
Since the terrorist attacks on September
11, we have experienced a surge in
patriotism by the majority of Americans.
However, the dust from the attacks had
barely settled in New York and Washington
D.C. when the "politically correct"
crowd began complaining about the possibility
that our patriotism was offending others.
Since the terrorist attacks on September
11, we have experienced a surge
in patriotism by the majority of Americans.
People were flying flags,
wearing ribbons and flag pins to show
their compassion for the victims of
this horrible disaster. However,
the dust from the attacks had barely
settled in New York and Washington D.C.
when the "religiously correct"
crowd began complaining about the possibility
that people who didn't share
their religious/political views were
to blame for the disaster.
September 13, 2001. Jerry Falwell
said the terrorist attacks on the U.S.
were "probably what we deserve."
Falwell made his remarks on "The 700
Club," on the Christian Broadcasting
Network hosted by Pat Robertson. Robertson
immediately said, "Jerry,
that's my feeling. I think we've just
seen the antechamber to terror."
Falwell said, "I fear...that this is
only the beginning." He said what
happened Tuesday would turn out to be
"minuscule...if in fact God
continues to lift the curtain and allow
the enemies of America to give us
probably what we deserve."
Specifically, Falwell pointed to "the
pagans and the abortionists and the
feminists and the gays and the lesbians...the
ACLU, the People for the
American Way" and other "Christ-haters."
"The ACLU's got to take a lot of the
blame for this," said Falwell. "All
of them who have tried to secularize
America, I point the finger in their
face and say, "You helped this happen,'"
Falwell said.
Robertson's instant response was, "I
totally concur. The problem is that
we've adopted that agenda at the highest
levels of government."
I am not against immigration, nor do
I hold a grudge against anyone who is
seeking a better life by coming to America.
In fact, our country's
population is almost entirely comprised
of descendants of immigrants;
I am not against immigration, nor do
I hold a grudge against anyone who is
seeking a better life by coming to America.
In fact, our country's
population is almost entirely comprised
of descendants of immigrants. I
am proud of the inscription on our beautiful
Statue of Liberty:
"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!"
However, 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 multi-cultural community has
served only to dilute our sovereignty
and our national identity.
However, there are a few things that
those who have recently come to our
country and apparently some native-born
Americans , need to understand.
"E Pluribus Unum" was the motto proposed
for the first Great Seal of the
United States by John Adams, Benjamin
Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson in
1776. A latin phrase meaning "One from
many," the phrase offered a strong
statement of the American determination
to form a single nation from a
collection of states. Over the years,
"E Pluribus Unum" has also served as
a reminder of America's bold attempt
to make one unified nation of people
from many different backgrounds and
beliefs. The challenge of seeking
unity while respecting diversity has
played a critical role in shaping our
history, our literature, and our national
character.
As Americans, we have our own culture,
our own society, our own language,
and our own lifestyle.
As Americans, we have our own culture,
our own society, our own language,
and our own lifestyle. All of which
evolved from the mutilple cultures
which helped to give us the rich heritage
we enjoy today.
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.
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 wars have
also been fought by many men and women who
not only came here of their own free
will , but by some who were even
brought here against their will and
still they fought for our nation.
"Real" native Americans and African
Americans fought alongside their
countrymen in places too numerous to
mention.
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!
We speak English, and Spanish, and Arabic,
and Chinese, and Japanese, and
Russian, and Italian and many
other languages. We are proud that America
is known as a melting pot where people
from all over the world who are in
search of freedom and a better way of
life have come to live. While we
understand and respect the fact that
English is the official language, we
also respect the ability of others who
are multi-lingual. Their talents
are sorely needed, especially in light
of what is going on in the world today.
"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.
While some people believe that "In God
We Trust" has always been our
national motto and always printed on
our currency, we know that the
original motto of the United States
was secular. "E Pluribus Unum"was our
original motto. It refers
to the welding of a single federal state from
a group of individual political units
-- originally colonies and now states.
It came to represent the most fundamental
ideal America: that a
diverse people living on a vast continent
could put aside their
differences and work together.
We also know that "In God We Trust" was
NOT adopted as our motto because
"Christian men and women, on Christian
principles, founded this nation".
In God We Trust" wasn't printed on coins
until 1864 and it wasn't used on
paper currency until 1955. In
1956, the nation was suffering through the
height of the cold war, and the McCarthy
communist witch hunt. Partly in
reaction to these factors, Congress
replaced the existing motto with
"In God we Trust."
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.
Displaying "In God We Trust" on the
walls of our public schools is not
appropriate because it is a violation
of the First Amendment of the Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"
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.
We know that God was not originally
in our pledge of allegiance.
The pledge of allegiance was written
by a socialist minister, Francis
Bellamy, in 1892. It has been revised
twice since then. Originally
consisting of 22 words, the word "to"
was added immediately after the
first celebration. The pledge was first
revised at the First National Flag
Conference in 1923 when the words "the
Flag of the United States" were
substituted for "my Flag," and the words
"of America" were added to that
phrase at the Second National Flag Conference
in 1924. The pledge of
allegiance did not, however, become
the official Pledge of Allegiance to
the Flag until Public Law 79-287 was
signed on December 28, 1941 by
President F.D. Roosevelt to prepare
it for service in the war effort.
"The Star-Spangled Banner", America's
national anthem, was written by
Francis Scott Key at the time of the
American Revolutionary War . It was
adopted as our National Anthem on March
3, 1931. The actual words were not
included in the legal documents. Key
had written several versions, with
slight variations, so discrepancies
in the exact wording still occured.
The first verse, the one that most Americans
are familiar with, makes no
reference to God.
And finally, no matter what the religious
revisionists would have us
believe, U.S. Constitution, drafted
in 1787, is a godless document. God
is nowhere to be found in the Constitution.
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.
If people want to fly flags at their
home, or wear flag pins, or have
bumper stickers that say "God Bless
America", I have no problem with that.
Even if it seems a little jingoistic
and not a little bit ironic,
considering the actions of the terrorists
who caused this disaster, who
also considered themselves "blessed"
by their God to do his will. Where
was America's God on September 11?
And if someone is offended that there
are people in America who don't necessarily
share their belief in their God,
then I submit that this is a free country.
Freedom of religion and separation
of church and state are a part of our
culture and we are proud of it.
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.
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.
Or not. After all, this
is America.
As an American, I have the right to
wave my flag, sing my national anthem,
quote my national motto, and cite my
pledge whenever and wherever I choose.
As an American, I have the right to
wave my flag, sing my national anthem,
quote my national motto, and cite my
pledge whenever and wherever I
choose. However, the government
has no right to force me to pledge
allegiance to the flag, or to sing the
national anthem, or to quote our
motto, or recite the pledge. Not
only does the government not have the
right to force me to do any of the above,
neither do I deserve to be
called un-American if I refuse to do
so.
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.
If people who don't shamelessly use
God's name in a jingoist ferver offend
you, or you don't like people who won't
march in lockstep behind
flag-waving, pseudo-patriots such as
yourself, then maybe you are
confusing America with another place
on another part of this planet, just
a few years ago. It was a place
called Nazi Germany, where goose-stepping
soldiers wore "Gott Mit Uns" (God is
with Us) on their belt buckles and
criticism of the government was not
allowed.
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, if it was so superior, go home.
The American culture is our way of life,
our heritage, and we are proud of
it. Even though some of our fellow
Americans might disagree with our
religious or political views, this is
America, and people have the right
to express their beliefs, whether or
not those beliefs offend the
sensibilities of the other people who
consider themselves the only "real"
Americans. This is how things
are done where I come from. This is America.
I AM home.
We are Americans, 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.
We are Americans, like it or not, this
is our country, our land, and our lifestyle.
Our First Amendment gives every citizen
the right to express their opinion about
our government, culture, or society,
and we will allow you every opportunity to do so.
Unlike some hypocritical "religiously
correct" patrioteers who will invoke many
variations of the tired old cliche,
"America. Love it or leave it", we believe that there
is room in this country for discourse
without accusing someone who disagrees with us
of being un-American or suggesting that
they leave the country.
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.
But once you have finally learned the
truth about the originations of our
flag, our pledge, our national motto
and our Constitution and are done
complaining, whining, and griping about
our way of life, I highly
encourage you to remember and respect
the one other great American
freedom, the right to dissent.
As the great Edward R. Murrow said, "We
must not confuse dissent with disloyalty.
When the loyal opposition dies, I think
the soul of America dies with it. "
If you agree, pass this on to other
Americans!! It is time to take a stand!!
If you agree, or you respectfully reserve
the right to disagree, pass this
on to other Americans!! It is time to
take a stand!!
GOD BLESS AMERICA !
E PLURIBUS UNUM!