"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."
This photograph; amazingly preserved , these words; alive with meaning...Together they allow us to look back through the veil of time to a different age, a different lifestyle, and a different people. This was America...And these were Americans...circa 1907.
This ancient photograph reveals as much in what you do not see as in what you do. This was not the nations capital, New York City or Chicago. This was small town USA just after the turn of the century. Silent movies were already the rage but probably had not reached a town such at this. Electric lights may well have already arrived. They were still primitive but in demand. And there certainly is no traffic jam in this old black and white image.
Technology aside, look at the people. Citizens of a small town, possibly in the heartland, but most, in all likelihood, were farmers. Their entertainment...Church socials, horse racing, shooting, fishing if there were a stream nearby, hunting, and work. This to them was most certainly the event of the year. President Teddy Roosevelt was coming to town. Get dressed up in your Sunday finest and go. Horseback, buckboard, carriage, or on foot; anyone who could get there did. There was no TV with which to address the people so the president went to them, and standing on a stump or soapbox addressed his audience in the loudest voice he could muster. And they loved it! This was Teddy! And these simple folks would talk about this day for years to come.
Look at the gathering. This enraptured group of American crowding in as close to the President as possible. Others are on rooftops peering down from above and if you take a close look there is a young man on the left who has climbed a tree to literally get a bird's eye view. No secret service agents at Roosevelt's side; no need for them. After all he was the American President and these were American people. What could be more natural?
Speeches were just as long then as now and probably just as boring, but any good speech will have it's special message and a good orator would know how to lead his audience, and when the grand moment of delivery arrived you can be sure that there was silence. Then the great man would keep the audience spellbound as he delivered his message. The heart of that day's message is recorded above. The rest of what he said is irrelevant because these few remembered words were why he was standing on a stump in small town USA.
I asked you to study the photo; now I ask you to hear his words:
Never one time is the word "Law" mentioned, but his observance of it is obvious. Listen to the President as he speaks of immigrants coming to us with "good faith." The mere use of this phrase excludes illegal aliens. Hear him as he says that we must "insist" on a certain level of behavior. Someone in the crowd just cheered when he spoke of giving our new immigrants equality and not discriminating in anyway as long as they observe and partake of the ways of the Americans who welcome them. All around and about him the President can see tears of pride in the eyes of his listeners as his words touch their very souls and remind them of what it means to be an American, with one flag, one loyalty, a common language and a common purpose. This is not a land of divided loyalties!
This is a country of laws, and it was built by immigrants. As the President spoke, a magnificent statue, perhaps a thousand miles away was standing in New York harbor welcoming ever more pilgrims to our land and giving them nothing....Nothing tangible that is. She did not guarantee a free education, low interest loans, subsidized housing or food stamps. Freedom and the opportunity to make the most of that freedom was all she promised anyone and the worthy did made the most of it.
Standing there on his stump, far from Lady Liberty, the President was delivering the same message as she. Welcome! Come join us. Become one of us. Love our country, honor our flag and learn our language. If you cannot do this then you do not belong here. Do not expect us to learn your ways; our grandfathers left those ways behind when they came here looking for freedom. They found it! They left it to us! We will gladly share it with you but we will not give it up to please you. If this is what you seek, you seek in vain. Go Home and bother us no more. Behold Americans in this land of America, for we are a people who bow to no one!
He and I said the same thing. He used words and meaning that were appropriate for his day and age. I have had to use words influenced by the frustrating policies of today and what today's immigrants, legal or otherwise expect from us.
Recently many Americans felt embarrassed for our president when he complained that most Americans only know one language. Actually one is all we need! Americans speak English! Most people in the world would love to be here and able to speak English. Instead of him bemoaning the fact that most of us speak but one language he should be showing signs of contrition before all the people for the abuse he has heaped on those who put him into high office.
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| flickr creative commons |
Another very serious factor in the ethnic divisions taking place in America is religion. Religious differences and problems have been minor and few, but today a new intolerance rears its evil head in the land of the free. The Founding Fathers saw fit to guarantee all Americans the right to worship however they saw fit, but they could not foresee the day when a new and forceful religion would come into our country in the baggage compartments of jet aircraft, crashing into our buildings and viciously killing our people. All of the people died, the buildings were destroyed, and America's illusion of invincibility was crushed by falling rubble. What survived was the Islamic hatred, spewing forth in the dust cloud that belched out of those falling buildings.
WE SHALL NOT FORGET! Defiant words! Strong words! Words uttered in a moment of shock, grief, and anger! Words that inspired bumper stickers, words etched onto naked skin in tattoo parlors, words emblazoned on tee shirts and baseball caps. Those same tee shirts and hats are being worn now by Americans who will stand and watch as an enormous mosque is built in the area we reverently referred to as Ground Zero. Nine years! We have all see the picture and the videos time and time again. Crashing jets, flaming building, symbols of Capitalism collapsing into the ground. No! We have not forgotten! But thanks to the dictates of our liberal/progressive elitists in Washington DC...well, we're just kind of letting it slide.
Advocates for the Islamic faith assert that they follow a religion of peace, but Europe is beginning to doubt the voracity of this claim. Holland, England, France, Spain...Across Europe the Muslim population grows ever larger, and somewhere in the population there is always a dedicated member who gladly kills and beheads any European who has the audacity to deny that Islam is a peace loving religion.
The problem has grown so acute that some nations are passing laws forbidding their citizens to criticize Islam hoping to avoid further bloodshed. The appeasement they advocate is shear lunacy. Winston Churchill, a man of wit and wisdom, once made an observation about such practices. He remarked that "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."
The people of Europe should take a lesson from history. They followed an appeasement campaign with Hitler and eventually his storm troops paid them a visit. Today's problem is even more critical, they are already there. I have one little thought and I pray I am wrong. The people of Europe have been disarmed by their leaders but I cannot help but think the Muslim populace has re-armed and are waiting...Just waiting.
My words of caution I give to the people of Europe with best wishes. This country should once again hear the words of Teddy Roosevelt: :
"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."
I frequently hear reference to the "moderate" Muslims. A moderate Muslim could probably be best described as one who is not actively involved in the murder of innocent Americans...but will not help us capture those who are. By President Roosevelt's logic we have no room for "moderate " Muslims. We have plenty of room for Americans who were born in Arab nations but we don't want them to be moderate. They must be loyal Americans or they do not belong here. If they cannot love our people, our culture, our country and our flag then they should recall the words we live by...Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Then go pursue their happiness elsewhere.
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