Finally--fighting back

[Francie26]

The following is from WND (online) December 4, 2012.

It's about time we start to fight back.

"A school district in North Carolina has been given a deadline to affirm that it will not censor a student’s speech, or a legal team assembled by the Alliance Defending Freedom will seek a “remedy” to the problem."

This is about the 6-year-old girl who wrote a poem about her grandfather, a Vietnam Vet, and who was told by the school that she could not include the word God, since one person in the community objected. I wondered when we would get our "stuff" together well enough to start to fight back against this cr^p. It's overdue, past time, to get a fight organized to stop them. Jefferson must be spinning in his grave over his words being used like this.

[desimo]

It is about time!!!!!!!

[one2one]

if she wrote an article about our money---would that be ok ?

IN GOD WE TRUST

[Nelg]

Should we protest is the word "Allah" is used in any speech, performance, paper, or activity at pubic event?

[Gooserider67]

bout time

[Deltori]

Yes it is time we stand up for "our" rights as God loving American citizens with strong moral fortitude.

[smee2]

Reading the original post and remarks, I felt a real sense of anger ... anger that the American people have so diligently worked at destroying something that was so good and so beautiful ... the American Dream.

Growing up in Canada, where we are constantly being compared to our neighbours to the south, namely the good old U S of A, I was under the impression that America was the epitome of a land where diversity was cherished and profitable, where freedom was a watchword not only in regards to politics but also religion, speech and personal preference. What happened?

In the last decade or so I have watched, horrified, as the United States of America has gone from a nation I was proud to have as a next door neighbour, and believed to be a good friend, with whom my country shared not only the longest "open" border in the world but also a basic system of beliefs and values, to a nation of restriction in many presumed basic freedoms. America has suffered a massive loss of influence as well as a sad, and regretable, loss of what used to be a very good reptuation.

It may only be global perception, but what else does a nation have to offer in defence of it's own ideals but perception? It is the way other nations see and believe a nation to be that can, and does, influence the degree of worldwide cooperation that can be expected, the political health and wealth of a country, and ultimately the quality of life for a nation's citizens. Sadly, what most of the world perceives about America, as it is now and has been for some time, is intolerance.

America is a country that cannot afford to be intolerant or exclusive of any of its populace. America is a country founded by immigrants, a nation whose continued economic health and world stage presence depend on an ablity to grow, and learn, and adapt. None of that can be done without tolerance and acceptance of people who continue to wish to become citizens, and whose variety of skills, knowlege and experience bring to the table endless possibilities. For any nation to aspire to greatness, of and for itself, of and for its people, it is paramount that acceptance of diversity, as well as a wide variety of freedoms, foremost of which is the freedom of personal choice, be an intrinsic part of the national consciousness. Growth and prosperity are the rewards of a policy of national inclusion.

Often in the past I have had people assume, perhaps because of language (accent) or a seeming attitude of freedom and inclusion, that I was American. Sometimes I would correct them but most often not; after all, being an American, or mistaken for one, was, in the past, a compliment of the highest order. But now, and for many years, should I be taken for an American, I quickly correct the assumption by protesting that I am not an American; I am a Canadian. Of course I have many reasons to be very proud and happy to be a Canadian, and always have had. But I never thought I would find being mistaken for an American to feel like a personal affront, an insult.

I still believe, for the most part, the American citizen is a good and honorable person, someone I should be proud to be, or at least happy to call my good neighbour and, hopefully, a true friend. But America's reputation has suffered, and it is because of precisely the "perception" that Americans are exclusive, not inclusive, their attitude too often of the "do as I say, not as I do" variety. Americans no longer enjoy the reputation for being fair, valuing freedom for everyone, not just a few, or of being the most admired or people.

I realize most Americans reading this will be upset and eager to refute what I have said. But I have spent decades, one way or another, professionally and personally, being informed by non-Americans just how the world does perceive America. And when the citizens themselves constantly show no respect for their own leaders, no respect for their own stated values and freedoms, no respect for their own Constitution, and most importantly no respect for the beliefs of their own people ... it is not surprising that Americans are given far less respect now than they have ever been given in the past. Where Americans could be proud of their reputation, and Canadians could be proud of Americans as their good friends and powerful next door neighbours, it is now, more than ever, a case of the American people getting no more respect than they are giving the rest of the world ... those who live in other countries, and those who have settled in America expecting to find and share the freedom and acceptance that used to be at the core of the American Dream. It has become for many the American Nightmare!

:(/>

smee2

[Shabibilicious]

Reading the original post and remarks, I felt a real sense of anger ... anger that the American people have so diligently worked at destroying something that was so good and so beautiful ... the American Dream.

Growing up in Canada, where we are constantly being compared to our neighbours to the south, namely the good old U S of A, I was under the impression that America was the epitome of a land where diversity was cherished and profitable, where freedom was a watchword not only in regards to politics but also religion, speech and personal preference. What happened?

In the last decade or so I have watched, horrified, as the United States of America has gone from a nation I was proud to have as a next door neighbour, and believed to be a good friend, with whom my country shared not only the longest "open" border in the world but also a basic system of beliefs and values, to a nation of restriction in many presumed basic freedoms. America has suffered a massive loss of influence as well as a sad, and regretable, loss of what used to be a very good reptuation.

It may only be global perception, but what else does a nation have to offer in defence of it's own ideals but perception? It is the way other nations see and believe a nation to be that can, and does, influence the degree of worldwide cooperation that can be expected, the political health and wealth of a country, and ultimately the quality of life for a nation's citizens. Sadly, what most of the world perceives about America, as it is now and has been for some time, is intolerance.

America is a country that cannot afford to be intolerant or exclusive of any of its populace. America is a country founded by immigrants, a nation whose continued economic health and world stage presence depend on an ablity to grow, and learn, and adapt. None of that can be done without tolerance and acceptance of people who continue to wish to become citizens, and whose variety of skills, knowlege and experience bring to the table endless possibilities. For any nation to aspire to greatness, of and for itself, of and for its people, it is paramount that acceptance of diversity, as well as a wide variety of freedoms, foremost of which is the freedom of personal choice, be an intrinsic part of the national consciousness. Growth and prosperity are the rewards of a policy of national inclusion.

Often in the past I have had people assume, perhaps because of language (accent) or a seeming attitude of freedom and inclusion, that I was American. Sometimes I would correct them but most often not; after all, being an American, or mistaken for one, was, in the past, a compliment of the highest order. But now, and for many years, should I be taken for an American, I quickly correct the assumption by protesting that I am not an American; I am a Canadian. Of course I have many reasons to be very proud and happy to be a Canadian, and always have had. But I never thought I would find being mistaken for an American to feel like a personal affront, an insult.

I still believe, for the most part, the American citizen is a good and honorable person, someone I should be proud to be, or at least happy to call my good neighbour and, hopefully, a true friend. But America's reputation has suffered, and it is because of precisely the "perception" that Americans are exclusive, not inclusive, their attitude too often of the "do as I say, not as I do" variety. Americans no longer enjoy the reputation for being fair, valuing freedom for everyone, not just a few, or of being the most admired or people.

I realize most Americans reading this will be upset and eager to refute what I have said. But I have spent decades, one way or another, professionally and personally, being informed by non-Americans just how the world does perceive America. And when the citizens themselves constantly show no respect for their own leaders, no respect for their own stated values and freedoms, no respect for their own Constitution, and most importantly no respect for the beliefs of their own people ... it is not surprising that Americans are given far less respect now than they have ever been given in the past. Where Americans could be proud of their reputation, and Canadians could be proud of Americans as their good friends and powerful next door neighbours, it is now, more than ever, a case of the American people getting no more respect than they are giving the rest of the world ... those who live in other countries, and those who have settled in America expecting to find and share the freedom and acceptance that used to be at the core of the American Dream. It has become for many the American Nightmare!

:(src="http://dinarvets.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif">/>

smee2

I'm very sorry you feel that way about America and her people Smee. Could you possibly see past that and tell us Americans what you think about a 6 year old being told to remove God from her poem? Thanks

GO RV, then BV

[Nelg]

Smee, I would like for you to consider the basic implementation of the tolerance you delineated in your post. Americans honor the cultures and peoples of the world. We cannot afford to do anything else. And, for the most part, we are tolerant.

The one thing Americans will not tolerate is intolerance. When someone stands up to say, "There is only one right way," the hair on the back of our collective heads stands up. But this is not a debate over freedom, but a discrepancy over the interpretation of tolerance.

If the Christian community sponsored a campaign to encourage its community to speak out against the excessive amount of violence and sexual promiscuity on television, in the movies, etc., there is bound to be a backlash of individuals stating their disapproval and crying that we are “intolerant.” “Aren’t we a nation founded on the principle of liberty and freedom? How can we possible be to intolerant of those who disagree?”

The American Heritage Dictionary defines tolerance as "the capacity for or practice of recognizing and respecting the options, practices, or behavior of others." First, tolerance demands recognition, which is a legal imperative. Naturally, the Constitution recognizes and protects the diversity of religious beliefs and practices. Second, it calls for respect, which is a social imperative. The Declaration of Independence declares that we are all created equal, indicating that we need to respect all men, even when there are differences of opinion.

However, in our culture, tolerance is not being discussed as a legal or social imperative, but a moral one. In response to a survey concerning beliefs about God, a sixteen-year-old girl replied, "In my mind, the only people who are wrong are the people who will not accept different beliefs as being, well, acceptable." This girl believed that the only real sin is to not accept or tolerate other people's beliefs. Likewise, openness or "uncritical tolerance" has become our society's moral standard. Consequently, people who seem intolerant are wrong. . Listen to the following statement self-defeating statement: "It is morally wrong to say that something is morally wrong."

If you are intolerant of someone who is intolerant, then you have necessarily violated your own principle. But if you tolerate those who are intolerant, you keep your principle, but sacrifice your responsibility to the principle. Therefore, any person who is committed to tolerance must resort to total apathy.

The notion that tolerance is a virtue is a paradox. Nevertheless, it has become the dominant moral guideline for our culture. With this philosophy of “tolerance,” born from extreme fascism, comes the “political correctness,” which has it’s goal to enforce a universal standard of tolerance, regardless of race, gender, cultural background, or sexual orientation. Thus, the Golden Rule for a politically correct person is to not do, say, or even imply anything that any other individual or group might find offensive.

At the same time, these tolerance trends are merely impulsive reactions to the problem and not well-thought-out solutions. The reason is simple. If our goal is just more tolerance, then discrimination isn't wrong in a moral sense, it's only offensive. Yet what constitutes "being offensive” changes according to the whims of the ethnic and social group involved. Consequently, a standard of tolerance becomes arbitrary and variable because it is subject to interpretation based on an underlying bias.

Smee, your basic definition is flawed. It is universal and absolute based upon your truth as absolute. It fails to be tolerant of others who are intolerant!

America is a country that cannot afford to be intolerant or exclusive of any of its populace. America is a country founded by immigrants, a nation whose continued economic health and world stage presence depend on an ablity to grow, and learn, and adapt. None of that can be done without tolerance and acceptance of people who continue to wish to become citizens, and whose variety of skills, knowlege and experience bring to the table endless possibilities. For any nation to aspire to greatness, of and for itself, of and for its people, it is paramount that acceptance of diversity, as well as a wide variety of freedoms, foremost of which is the freedom of personal choice, be an intrinsic part of the national consciousness. Growth and prosperity are the rewards of a policy of national inclusion.

Read more: http://dinarvets.com.../#ixzz2E9Fa4nqg

The situation in America (USA) has changed to the extent that those who are different or profess a different cultural, stand condemned by those who feel they are promoting tolerance and multiculturalism. There was no tolerance concerning this young girl’s statement about “God.” It was immediately condemned and she was not permitted to use “that” word . . . because it offended someone who did not believe in God. The reactions of the others posts were statements of support for one who had become the brunt of “intolerance” and “ignorance.”

Equality of “tolerance” must be the norm and not weighted for one side. Protests will occur when injustice is committed to the determent of the person and nation.

[dontlop]

i agree .. i personally dont like some things that some people do .. and that is not tolerated .. they act like i have to like certain behaviours or they dont like me .. they give themselves a pass to hate me and call me names .. but if i say something they dont like .. im condemed

,, thats why i dont care when they call me a homophobe .,. they hate me and thats there perogative .. i just laugh at their hypoccritical nature and just do my thing ..if they put their hands on me .. i will be forced to defend myself .... and they wonder why people are lining up buying guns .. the haters are everywhere and i wont accept their behavior no matter how much they hate me and call me names

[dontlop]

its the same thing as being prejudice against prejudice people.. its hypocritical,,, theiir hypocrats .. what is a crat anyways .. i see that alot ..

[DiveDeepSix]

The following is from WND (online) December 4, 2012.

It's about time we start to fight back.

"A school district in North Carolina has been given a deadline to affirm that it will not censor a student’s speech, or a legal team assembled by the Alliance Defending Freedom will seek a “remedy” to the problem."

This is about the 6-year-old girl who wrote a poem about her grandfather, a Vietnam Vet, and who was told by the school that she could not include the word God, since one person in the community objected. I wondered when we would get our "stuff" together well enough to start to fight back against this cr^p. It's overdue, past time, to get a fight organized to stop them. Jefferson must be spinning in his grave over his words being used like this.

Great post my friend I couldn't agree more, I'm so tired of political correctness it's time for this country to stand up for the beliefs that made it great to begin with. GOD bless the USA!!!