We welcome new Americans

Submitted by michael (United States), Aug 18, 2008 at 09:01

Jennifer, your belief that these 100-150 million radicals are going to be storming at the doors of America-- and that we are going to obligingly let them in-- is a form of insanity. I can't put it any other way. This dire and bizarre imaginary future just ain't going to happen. The Western Europeans did make a mistake when they invited in huge numbers of guest workers and allowed them to bring their families and to stay indefinitely, without pulling them into the national fold.

Had they been genuinely accepted as French, as Germans, as Dutch or as English, and had some semblance of equality and job security been offered them (as is offered to all in those countries who are considered to be authentic nationals) they would not have created the enormous problems they're now stuck with. They'd have melted in the pot.

In America we DO offer newcomers equality-- both legal and social. Iraqis or Egyptians in only a couple of years become Americans and just blend in, where in other countries they become entrenched pockets of discontent. The only exceptions I can think of are Detroit, which handles none of its race relations well, and Waterville Maine, where a small white town was overwhelmed by a huge influx of culturally dissimilar Somalis.

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