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General Thoughts on the Immigration Issue

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Dr. Bob, May 11, 2006.

  1. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    "In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American.

    There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

    ---Theodore Roosevelt 1907

    Floor is open for discussion
     
  2. standingfirminChrist

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    I am proud to call myself an African American. I was born in Africa. Do I speak the Africa language of Swahili? Bantu? any other African language? NO!

    Many who call themselves 'African-American' were not born in Africa, nor have ever been to Africa. If their parents are legal citizens of the United States and they were born here, they cannot be called that which they are not.

    I live in the states. I speak English.

    When one moves from one country to another, one should adapt to the ways of that country, be it dialect, work habits, or even food habits (I don't want no one killing my dog or cat to feed their family). When in Rome, do as the Roman's do.

    Yes, the picture shows a white man, I am caucasian. But being born in Africa, I have a right to citizenship in Africa if I so desire. Being born to American parents in the military, I have a right to claim citizenship to America as well if I so desire.
     
  3. Jimmy C

    Jimmy C New Member

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    Kinky Friedman who is running for governor of the great state of Texas and whom I disagree with on almost everything has a great idea, give the mexican generals all 25 million dollars - then deduct 100 everytime an illeagle gets across the border - poof, no more immigration problems!

    by the way - Kinky is also in favor of gay marriage, he figures that they should be as miserable as the rest of us.
     
  4. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    I believe they refer to their ethnicity, and not their birthplaces when they call themselves African-Americans.
    Now, there are Filipino-Americans who do not speak the tongues of their parents, and then are the naturalized Filipinos, born in the Philippines, and made citizens by law of the USA.
    They call themselves Filipino-Americans.
    You can say both things of Hispanics, Castillian or South American, and of Koreans, and Chinese, and Japanese, and so on and on and on.
    Are you insinuating that all non-Americans eat dogs and cats ? Your racism is showing.
    Years ago I was standing in front of a hotel lobby in the Philippines when a white American lady sat on the steps with her little boy of about six.
    Now, in the Philippines there is this big, black, two-winged beetle that we catch and tie with a string and give our kids for him to play with. He kind of lets them fly around in the air. The insect buzzes whle flying, and so he was our poor Filipino boys' 'remote controlled' plane until he is set free. (Yes, we do set them free).
    The white American boy asked his mom: "what is that, mommy ?". The white American mom said:"sssshh. that's an insect. they eat that." And then she kinda sheepishly looked at me and said,"right" ?
    I said, yeah. We eat people, too. We chop them up what is left over we salt and hang on the trees away from the sun.
    She kinda got the drift, and red-facedly went into the hotel.
    You kina remind me of her.

    Oh ? like marrying somebody of the same sex, and protesting at the too many forms of Christianity, and being more concerned about the rights of terrorists and criminals over the rights of the victims, and bad-mouthing national leaders ?
    You can have them.
    So which one do you choose ? African-American ? Or American American.
     
  5. Joshua Rhodes

    Joshua Rhodes <img src=/jrhodes.jpg>

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    I'm American and Texan (although I live in MO now). I have pride in both. Are we saying that a man or woman can't have pride in where they're from if it conflicts with being an American? Sorry... I just wanted to clarify, not trying to start a riot.
     
  6. standingfirminChrist

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    nothing racist about my statement at all. I do know that their are certain ethnic groups who consider a cat or dog as a delicasy. It is those I refer to. There may be others who consider another pet, such as goat, spider, parakeet, or even hamster as a delicasy. The point is, if one wants to live in our country, one should adapt to our ways, not us to theirs.
     
  7. Dave

    Dave Member
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    Also, not looking to start a riot, but if a person were so proud of their country of birth, why come to America? I am simply offering this as food for thought.

    Many people have come here over the years who retained their love of their old country, but gave allegience to the new. The current batch seems to want to retain their love and allegience to their former country. This does not build America, it divides it.
     
  8. Dave

    Dave Member
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    Sorry, duplicate post
     
  9. bapmom

    bapmom New Member

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    The big problem I have is these demonstrations are for ILLEGAL immigrants who want to be afforded "their rights" from OUR American gov't. They don't have rights here. They aren't American citizens. This does not mean that we as humans ought to just let them die in the street if they are mortally wounded, but it DOES mean that we are not obligated to provide their children with free education and gov't funded low-income housing.
    In those demonstrations, why were there Mexican flags being waved? Why are there Mexican troops escorting illegal immigrants across our borders? These are the problems I have with all that's going on lately.

    ps. I was raised in CA and lived almost my entire life there, so I understand the illegal immigrant issues pretty well. We deal with it constantly there.
     
  10. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    I agree, Dave.
    For the record, my country, the Philippines, recently enacted a Dual Citizenship law.
    I find it rather odd that the US should recognize a second citizenship.
    There are, as we know, Americans who hold dual citizenship among us.
    In the naturalization ceremonies, one raises his right hand and swears allegiance to the Constitution, the flag, and the country of the United States.
    I for one do not approve of Dual Citizenship.
    The way things are going in my country, one day in the not too distant future, my people will wake up with the hammer and sickle flying over their heads.
    I cannot be a citizen of such a country.
    My allegiance is only to one.
     
  11. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    Alright, I take back the 'racism' part of my statement.
    I just think that when one refers to certain types of food as being, what is the word, 'unRoman' or maybe, 'unAmerican' (?), the implication is that American choice of food, cooking and ways of eating is the civilized way.
    And yet, many a time, in buffet restaurants, I had to push my plate away, because the chicken still had blood, or the meat was too, ah, 'rare', even for the taste of this (according to one American tourist) 'insect eating', formerly G-stringed, tree-living, brown 'native'.
     
  12. Dave

    Dave Member
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    Dual citizenship is simply a way to take advantage of a country to which you hold no allegience. I seem to recall that naturalized citizens, at least at one time, had to renounce any allegience to a foreign power.

    Gee, I guess that wouldn't fly with the current push for diversity, would it?
     
  13. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    You may have touched on something. During the Great Tribulation, there is no mention of a Superpower nation like the US. I believe something catastrophic will happen within the US dividing it.
     
  14. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    That's exactly the point, Dave. You must renounce allegiance to your former country.
    Think of what would happen if one had allegiance to the US and still retained his citizenship and allegiance to the old country, and the US and his old country came to be at war with each other.
     
  15. Dave

    Dave Member
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    I think it is already happening.

    Look at the cultural spit that is going on today. Look at how far apart conservative and liberal thought has become (not Republican and Democrat, as the Republicans are getting more like the dems every day). Not to mention the current immigration issues and divided loyalties, which started several years ago.

    The current political rhetoric has reached a pitch that is probably approaching that of the early 1800's in viciousness. We know what that eventually led to.
     
  16. Dave

    Dave Member
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    I'll give you another point too for why the U.S. is at risk.

    How much of our national debt is in foreign hands? How much of our critical defense contracting are dependent on foreign capital? How many American financial institutions are now foreign owned. How much of our manufacturing capacity has been shutdown and shipped overseas?

    If WW2 were started in this economic environment, we would be in huge trouble. Enemy countries could flood the market with our bonds, resulting in the decline of the dollar. Enemy countries would restrict the shipping of manufactured products to us. We would not have the domestic manufacturing capacity to produce the war machine needed for a global conflict in anything approaching the short timeframe in which we ramped up then.

    Globalization will be the downfall of this country. Along with the internal moral decay, of course, which if you look through history, is death to a powerful country.
     
  17. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    I am proud of my ethnic heritage, though I've never been to Wales, Ireland or Bohemia.

    But I'm not an Irish-American (notice which comes FIRST in the hyphenated half-Americans??). I'm an American.

    BTW, when I lived in Texas it was OBVIOUS to all that I was not a Texan. Didn't dress, talk or walk like one.

    But I was NEVER asked where I was from!

    At a cocktail party one night I asked a famous Dallas resident why that was the case. She replied, "If you ARE from Texas you'd have told us, and if you AREN'T from Texas, we don't want to embarrass you."
     
  18. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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    I disagree with Roosevelt. I have no problem with folks holding on to their heritage as long as they don't try to shove it down our throats.

    Joseph Botwinick
     
  19. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    Heritage? Sure, I wear orange on St Patricks day like every good Protestant.

    But he used specific words here, jbot - "allegiance" and "loyalty".

    Walking around my city waving Mexican flags and demanding for my tax money to pay for their healthcare is NOT allegiance or loyalty.

    It is a crime.
     
  20. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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    Waving a Mexican Flag is not a crime. We have friends who wave the Israeli flag every day below the American Flag at their local temple. They also speak Hebrew with each other and when their family from Israel calls them. I have no problem with that. When they speak to us, they speak English out of respect for us and our culture. Demanding tax money to pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants is not showing allegiance and loyalty, but it is not a crime. Being here illegally is a crime.

    Joseph Botwinick
     
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