This says it all! - another chain letter

I agree with part of this, but not all (see below)….

After hearing that the state of Florida changed its opinion and let a Muslim woman have her picture on her driver’s license with her face covered this is an editorial written by an American citizen, published in a Tampa newspaper. He did quite a job; didn’t he? Read on, please!

IMMIGRANTS, NOT AMERICANS, MUST ADAPT. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Americans. However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled 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. Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants. However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand. This idea of America being a multicultural 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 has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!

The above I agree with to a certain extent, but multicultural communities dilute our sovereignty and identity? Here is the definition of sovereignty:

1. Supremacy of authority or rule as exercised by a sovereign or sovereign state.
2. Royal rank, authority, or power.
3. Complete independence and self-government.
4. A territory existing as an independent state.

We still have the constitution and are still independent from other countries. I don’t see how adding different cultures to the mix diminishes the law and independence of a country, and the mixture of other cultures is what created America’s identity. Just look at what we eat! Pizza (America’s version of Italian food), Hot dogs (America’s version of German food), Ketchup (derived from the Chinese ke-tsiap, a pickled fish sauce), Cheesecake (believed to have originated in ancient Greece), Tacos, Teriyaki…

“In God We Trust” is our national motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. 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.

By an Act of Congress, U.S. currency has carried the motto “In God We Trust” only since 1957. In 1955, Congress passed a law requiring that “In God We Trust” appear on all U.S. coins and currency. The first paper currency with the motto appeared in 1957. This was right after the McCarthy era, during the early Cold War, when no congressperson had the balls to stand up and remind people that our government was supposed to be secular so that anyone could practice their own beliefs.

“In God We Trust” did appear occasionally on a few coins, starting with a 2-cent piece in the 1860s, probably in an attempt to put “God” on the side of the north during the Civil War. In 1956, an Act of Congress adopted “In God We Trust” as a national motto. The original motto, “E Pluribus Unum” (”out of many, [come] one,”) celebrating plurality, still appears on the Presidential Seal and on some paper currency, and should be the only motto…notice the original is a godless one?

This country was NOT founded on Christian principles:

U.S. treaty signed by President Adams. In 1797 the United States entered into a treaty with Tripoli, in which it was declared:
“As the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility [sic] of Mussulmen . . . it is declared . . . that no pretext arising from religious opinion shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.” This treaty was written under Washington’s presidency, and it was ratified by Congress under John Adams, signed by Adams.

Our nation was founded as a secular government. There is no mention of any deities in the Constitution.

The First Amendment begins with these words:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; . . .” The two clauses are referred to, respectively, as the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause.

President Thomas Jefferson coined this phrase “wall of separation between church and state” in a carefully crafted letter to the Danbury Baptists of Connecticut in 1802. It has since been widely picked up and invoked in major Supreme Court decisions.

Through the country is runs on a majority rules theory the Bill of Rights was created to protect minority groups. I use the following two examples to show that Christian religions also evoke the first amendment right to freedom of religion not just the non-Christians.

In 1890, bible reading was outlawed from Wisconsin schools. — A Roman Catholic family objected to the exclusive use of the Protestant King James Version of the bible. The court barred all bible reading from Wisconsin public schools. [State ex rel. Weiss vs. District Board, 76 Wisc. 177 (1890)].

The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed student-initiated prayers at high-school football games in 2000. The Texas lawsuit was taken by a Catholic family and a Mormon family who had children who were being harassed by the born-again majority in the public schools.

If 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. 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. This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle. Our First Amendment gives every! citizen the right to express his opinion 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.

The phrase “under god” was added in 1954 as a response to the “Red scare”. Congress figured that adding “under god” to the pledge would separate the real Americans from those evil heathen atheist commies. The original pledge was first published on September 8, 1892 in the magazine “Youth’s Companion” with no reference to a deity. I see no reason to add god to a pledge to one’s country, and would prefer going back to the original pledge. Those that wish to add a deity to the pledge to their country may, but a our secular government should keep it out in order to serve all!