EyeShotFirst said:
Everybody in 1984 wore the same clothes, and that was a Paradise. ;)
I get your point and I agree that what I said was open to that kind of interpretation. I was just trying to make an observation that if half the population walks around with scarves covering their faces and the other half have men wearing jackboots there might be more friction than if everyone had more conformity, but it is a superficial thing and so probably not that important. Even if it is probably true.
Illegal immigrants should be made citizens and should be made to follow the same laws and pay the same taxes we do.
Here's where I agree with you: having two types of citizens means that some don't pay taxes while others do mean that one has to support the other by paying for all the services while the other can undercut them by living on the cheap tax free. That's true.
Where I disagree is that it removes the deterrant to immigrate illegally. Why stand in line patiently and pay your fees when you can get the exact same results by cheating? It isn't fair to those who do it properly and it means that the country is then wide open to a hundred times its current population flooding in and overwhelming its ability to cope.
One thing America seems to have suppressed, is a unique culture. We are almost the anti-culture. This is the great melting pot, but no matter how many ingredients go into the pot, we are still blatantly stale. We had culture at one time. Look at America's first 150 years.
I disagree. America has one of the most unique cultures the world has ever known. Even its different states have cultures. All a culture is is a way of doing something. A way that was tried and true and so passed down. Some cultures have staying power and some don't, but America today definitely has a strong cultural influence on the rest of the world.
I live in Houston, which is probably the most racially and culturally diverse place I've ever been in my life, and even after that, anything Asian or European is Americanized. Sure, you have your China towns, little Italys, and your Polish quarters, but that's separating people who, in my opinion, are American. Hispanic influences have held strong, which is one thing I can say, but other than that.... The state I currently live in is almost and has been it's own Country, yet I can't tell much of a difference in it than any of the other 7 states I've lived in, other than the heat and the wealth. You go from being used to seeing little 1 story houses, to driving past mansions that seem to go on forever.
I digress, and probably haven't made much of a point. I just think we have a lot to learn from the many people that come into our country, and diversity could make our country strong if we went about it in the right way. I do believe English should be enforced in the workplace, but I like experiencing different people's ways.
I like what you are saying. I think I understand your point perfectly fine and I agree that there are positives from meeting other cultures and people. All I ask is that other cultures not overwhelm what is normal to those who were already living there before they came. All I ask is what the North American Natives were asking for awhile, actually.