Someone asked me a question in the comment section of my last post. For a couple of reasons I declined giving an answer. Later I found this person has commented before, very nicely, as a matter of fact. So upon reflection, I decided to answer here.
I was asked my opinion on the growing Muslim population in my state.
First let me say that I am all for legal immigration. I understand
why people from all over the world want to come here. I have ancestors who came from France, Germany, England, Scotland. Some came as far back as 1635. Others before and during World War I, fleeing war torn Europe. All of them followed the laws of the day and became citizens and earned their keep.
I have zero tolerance or patience for those who think it is OK to jump the border and immediately collect benefits, paid for with my taxes and the taxes of my family. Every one of my children and the older of my grands hold down jobs, pay their own rent, buy their own food and pay for their medical care, whether it be insurance or out of pocket. It would not cross their minds to expect a handout.
I am also totally against open borders. The reasons should be clear after the news stories of crimes committed by illegals including the Iowa college student who has been missing for a month and whose body was found yesterday, murdered by a man who has lived in the area for several years - illegally. One has to wonder just how many terrorists have entered our borders illegally.
As far as the Muslim population goes, I understand that there are some who are peaceful and just want to live out their lives. Sadly, we only hear of the ones who would like to eliminate all who do not believe as they do. We hear of the ones who want nothing better than to turn America into a Muslim nation. They make no secret of wanting the nation to be governed by Shariah Law. And many have no intention of assimilating into our culture.
Here in Minnesota, the Somali Muslims have been welcomed with open arms by Left leaning groups. Some have been convicted for having ties to terrorist groups. Others have amused themselves by chasing locals from parks and lakeside beaches and by going into affluent neighborhoods to harass residents. Many have stayed in the Minneapolis area, settling in a neighborhood now known as 'Little Mogadishu.' The effect on the area depends on who you talk to. Those on the Left will tout the diversity of the area, waxing rapturously about the community. Those on the Right will point out that non-Muslims take a great risk in entering there. I find it interesting that many crimes in that area of Minneapolis that I hear about listening to the police scanner never make the local news.
Other immigrants have been dispersed throughout the state, many to smaller farming towns and communities. As I no longer travel, I can not speak from experience. But I can relate what has been told me from friends who live in those communities. Some say that places like the public swimming pools or recreational facilities are no longer safe for local kids. Other female friends tell me that they cannot walk in the downtown areas of their hometown without being harassed or threatened.
Considering that some of the most horrific terrorist acts here and overseas have been carried out in the name of Allah, it seems to me that political correctness needs to go into the trash bin where it belongs and truth should be told. We are so afraid of offending anyone that we ignore the obvious.
The thing is, those in power here in Minnesota don't give a rodent's behind if I am offended. And I am offended by people who demonstrate by shouting 'Death to America.' I am offended by those who wish to change the culture in my state. I am offended by those who don't want to obey our laws but want their own form of law to be the law of the land. And I am offended by those who insist their religious laws concerning food and prayer be adhered to, here in the land of Lutherans and Catholics, who practice their religions without fanfare and without insisting others do as they do. And I am particularly offended by those who consider a woman without a head scarf to be fair game.
To the person who posed the question, I am sorry I didn't recognize you. I hope this post adequately answers it.
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Well written. We could talk about this for many hours couldn't we
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rob. Yeah, I think both of us could have much more to say on the subject!
DeletePreach it sister! I agree on all counts, except maybe accepting legal immigrants. Even some of those need booted out.
ReplyDeleteGorges...I figure that if an immigrant wants to become an American citizen badly enough to go through what they have to go through to make that happen, then they have earned the right to stay. I'll agree that some may not be good people, but if you dig deeply enough into your family or mine, I'll bet we find some scoundrels who are not exactly model citizens - and they were born here. :)
DeleteWell said, Vickie.
ReplyDeleteMy personal pet peeve is when immigrants refuse to learn the country's language. Here in Canada, they have a choice of two official languages, French or English. I say pick one.
I have many neighbors who recently immigrated to Canada. Some have learned English (most used on the west coast) and some have chosen not to bother. When I moved to Canada, I worked very hard to learn about and adapt to the culture. Fortunately I was a native English speaker so didn't have to also learn the language. It never entered my mind to do anything else.
Keep on your soap box!
SJ
Thanks, SJ...The language thing has been a pet peeve of mine from way back when we made phone calls to businesses and were instructed to 'Press 1 for English.' English is my native language in my home country, dammit, and I should be able to converse in English without requesting it be used. (Soapbox kicked back on that one.)
DeleteThe way you approached things when you made your move is the way things should be done under those circumstances. I would bet a month's income that you would never in the world expect Canadians to become Americanized just because you chose to live among them. And yet there are those who come here and expect us to adapt to them instead of the other way around. And to top it off, they seem to be doing everything they can to turn my beloved America into the same kind of hell-hole they ran from. Gives me a headache right on the top of my head sometimes.
My soapbox may get a workout sooner than later!!
I love your soapbox!
DeleteAnd it makes me sad that Canada is becoming 'more inclusive' of others' languages. The last time I was at the airport here, I heard an announcement in something other then French or English. I was totally shocked and saddened.
Take good care,
SJ
SJ...I have been sad to read that your Canada is having some of the same kinds of problems as my America when it comes to immigration. It is a shame that your PM hasn't seemed to learn anything from what is going on here with our nearly open borders and sanctuary cities. Unless our governments do something to stop the influx of illegals, both countries will soon be in a world of hurt.
DeleteThis is what happens when I have little to keep me busy. The old soapbox makes an appearance. :)
One of my peeves here is the "We're here; get out of our way" attitude taken by the Mexicans who have literally TAKEN OVER my area of the country. This is most likely fed by my second major peeve; our government has been NURTURING this attitude. The Mexicans said "SI SE PUEDE! (YES YOU CAN!)." The American people said "NO SE PUEDE!." Obama said "Si, se puede." In other words, "Go ahead, illegals; do what whatever you want. America; screw you!" Now my kids need to know Spanish just to get a job in their own country! Folks, if this isn't affecting you now, and you do nothing to stop it, it'll affect you soon enough!
ReplyDeletePete...I don't think there are very many places within our borders that aren't already affected. Some time back I worked at a small convenience store in my neighborhood. There was a Mexican fellow who would come in just to brag to me. He said, "We come here whenever we want. We take your jobs. We take your food stamps. We take your welfare. We send our money back to Mexico. And you can't stop us." I couldn't argue. He spoke the truth.
DeleteI wholeheartedly agree with the language thing. It doesn't matter which country they come from. English is the language of the land. I shouldn't be expected to understand Spanish, Hmong or Arabic. And neither should anyone else.
I don't know what to do about this immigration thing. I'm just a chubby granny living in flyover country. I once thought that getting out the vote might help but I'm not so sure any more. The government is so very corrupt that I am not at all sure my vote would even be counted. I do believe Trump is our last, best hope, but with all the democrats and some of the republicans blocking him at every turn, doing everything they can think of to remove him from office, I wonder if he will be able to do what he wants to do for our country. It is a mess, isn't it!
Hello again :) Thank you so much for answering my comment-question. I deeply agree with everything you have said. I believe strongly in legal, lawful immigration.....But then I expect the folks coming here to assimilate into our culture and work hard to keep our country strong and prosperous....What worries me greatly is that this assimilation is not happening in many instances. I feel that if the Nov. midterms give Liberals control in Congress, well, I fear then it will be over and America will be lost to flail about with no true purpose in the future....Probably will fall to "One World Government" rule.
ReplyDeleteThank you again, Vicki...and thanks to all the other commenters too. :)
lynney62...It is one thing to hold on to family traditions related to heritage. My kids Dad's family, being Scandinavian, serves lutefisk at Christmastime. My own family with it's frugal Scottish roots would often give handmade gifts rather than store-bought. Many families from other parts of the world celebrate the way their ancestors did. There is nothing wrong with that.
DeleteIt becomes a problem, however, when folks refuse to become 'American.' And that is what worries me. It seems to me that not only do some of them refuse to honor their country of choice, for they made a choice to come here, but it seems to me that so many expect us to pay homage to their homelands. This I will not do.
If the Liberals gain control, it is all over except for the crying. Obama nearly did us in and you are absolutely right about what the consequences might be if that crowd is given another chance. My beloved country is already nearly unrecognizable from what it was 40 - 50 years ago. Never have I seen so much hate and arguing and fighting and total insanity as I see now. Common sense has left the building leaving behind turmoil. I fear for the future of my grands.
Excellent post Vicki.... I agree with everything you said. I want my country's borders and laws to be respected and followed. I come from immigrant stock who arrived in this country legally and worked hard and assimilated without giving up their traditions... they were of German and Italian heritage but so proud to be Americans. I pray that the Republicans hold the House and Senate in the mid-terms. The strong economy should help. I'm not sure what will help those suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. Many seem to be beyond the reach of any logical discussion. How can one argue that they don't want the country they live in to be prosperous? And yet many seem to desire a failing US if that will put Trump out of office. I know we could talk about this whole situation for hours...but it does my heart good to know others are out there in flyover country with me who love the United States of America.
ReplyDeletecarol fun...Seems to me that if a person chooses to leave the country where they were born and if they choose to live in another, then it makes sense to want to adopt the customs of their new home and to want to live in harmony with their neighbors. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case with so many who come here. I have seen this not only in the Muslim community, but with others as well.
DeleteAs far as the Trump Derangement Syndrome goes, I have come to the conclusion that first, their girl lost. Hillary's coronation did not happen like they were sure it would. And second, so many in government are so incredibly corrupt that they fear Trump will call them out. He is, if nothing else, a street fighter who doesn't much care if he ruffles feathers. These people see their house of cards coming down, one card at a time and they will say anything - do anything to maintain their levels of corruption. I pray that not only are conservatives elected in Mid-terms, but also that he gets a second term. It will take all of that to get the swamp at least partially drained.
It makes me glad to know that there are others out there who see things like I see them. Here in Minnesota, so close to the city, I find myself surrounded by Liberals. Fortunately most here, aside from the Black Lives Matter and the Antifa crowd, play nice as long a you don't get too deeply into political conversations. And I find that even then, most practice "Minnesota nice." :)
Too exhausted to comment. However, moderate or liberal Muslims, if forced to choose, they will kill you!
ReplyDeleteLinda...I believe they will always follow their religious teachings, even when it means the taking of another life. I expect no less from people who teach hatred and violence to children, as we just heard about with the compound that was raided in New Mexico, where they were teaching children how to shoot up schools.
DeleteThere is an old saying about the Unvarnished Truth. Vicki, this is the Unvarnished Truth. For some the Truth is not allowed or needs to be edited to fit the agenda du'jour. These are not 10 Commandants people. When lying, cheating, stealing, causing harm and murder are allowed against people not of a belief, that is a problem. For them their souls are forfeit, their houses are damned, the gates are closed until they repent and atone. God will decide when it is enough.
ReplyDeleteRed
Red...God has before decided He'd had enough. Think Sodom and Gomorrah or Noah and his Ark. Frankly, I am somewhat surprised that He hasn't already had a bellyfull of the foolishness around us.
DeleteUnvarnished Truth seems to be at a premium these days, doesn't it. I always told my children when they were young, that there would be consequences for bad behavior. But if they lied to me, the consequences would be much greater. Seems to me there are few consequences for lying politicians or for any other group of people. Your description of the sins that not only are allowed but are commanded to those who believe differently than we do, is spot on, as are the consequences. Very well said.
Me...I pretty much have to tell the truth. If I should lie, I am so old that I soon would forget the lie and would find myself in a world of trouble. :)
Mom,I'm all for people wanting to move to America, just do it legally. I have been to Mexico several times and understand why they want to come here. I work with a number of Muslims and the ones that I have gotten to know are very nice people. One guy asked me if I was interested in being a Muslim, I had to decline because I like bacon to much to give it up. Duane
ReplyDeleteSon...I am in agreement with coming here - legally. I don't say that all Muslims are bad. There are good people and bad people in any race or religion you want to mention. I don't believe in judging a group of people because of the actions of a few. It is those few that need to be kept out - the ones who like to harass Americans just for the fun of it - the ones who claim rape is acceptable according to the teachings of their religion - the ones who live to harm us or kill all of us who are non-believers. Those are the ones I would like to see gone.
DeleteLove your bacon comment. :)
Christian lady from middle east told me that even if raised with a moslem and like loving brothers, if imam says kill your friend the moslem will kill without blinking an eye. it is indoctrination and it is pounded into them.
ReplyDeletedeborah...I have no doubt that you are right. So much of what we are taught as Christians to be wrong and sinful, they are taught is acceptable behavior. I prefer to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, but find it difficult to do so when I hear of those who have killed their own daughters as a matter of 'family honor.' Makes me wonder if there is anything they will not do in the name of Allah.
DeleteThat's an extremely well written synopsis of what's happening all over America. For years, I've been following the Somali problem up your way. Now we have the same things happening here. Wish I knew what to do about it, but I just don't.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to do about it either, Harry. The city and surrounding areas are solid blue and I haven't much hope of that changing. And it is the city folks who keep putting out the welcome mat.
DeleteThe northern part of the state is a different story. Those people are miners and loggers and know where to hide the bodies. But there are just too few of them to make a difference when it comes to replacing elected officials with some who still have a bit of common sense.
Me...I keep a low profile. I am too old and in not the best of health to be getting out there to try to change the world. All I can do is to carry on the way I have been, making sure my family has what they need and wait for the whole thing to blow up. As I believe it will, sooner or later.
By the way...have you heard from Dani? She hasn't posted or commented for a while. I wondered if she and her family are affected by the goings on in South Africa these days.
I understand the problem. I know what is wrong, but can't think of a practical way to address the problem other than looking for a new location where the Morlocks are not yet in evidence. If I could find a place like that, how long would it stay that way?
DeleteI haven't heard a word from Dani in a long time. I don't know her status but I think it would be wise to get out of South Africa. With the blacks running it into the ground, it will be a third world hell hole, like Rhodesia. There's no place for white people in the ANC view of the country. Once the whites are gone, the blacks will be eating each other in short order, but the ANC doesn't have sense enough to see it.
I honestly don't think there is a place left to go. At least no place where if it isn't already over run, it will be soon. All the stuff I have been working so hard to put back is here. My family is here. So here I stay.
DeleteThanks for answering me about Dani. I know they are going after the white farmers with lots of land, but I expect those like Dani will be in danger as well. Hope they will be ok.