The thought police

The phrase "pc" or "politically correct" has become quite the dirty word in some quarters. A lot of it is because at its heard the PC movement is not about freedom of speech or about sharing ideas or thougts...it is suppressing the opposition through derision, threats, and intimidation. The following is an e-mail forwarded to me that I think makes an excellent point.

Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which don't agree with the philosophy they are pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published it but with your help it will get published via cyberspace!

New Immigrants From: "David LaBonte"
My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Dave LaBonte (signed)
Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in theOrange County Register:
Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry. Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr.Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States , people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home. They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany , Italy , France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France , no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl. And here we are in 2006 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags. And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty , it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet
. (signed) Rosemary LaBonte

P. S. Pass this on to everyone you know!!! KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING!! I hope this letter gets read by millions of people all across the nation!!

*************************************
There are things in there I agree with and things I don't. For example, there were many abuses heaped on the immigrants. Not all immigrants sought to follow the laws. One common justification for the rise of the mafia families was it was their response to the lack of jobs. I think there is some merit to that claim although it is disingenuous to say that was the main source of inspiration or reason. I think it is fairly safe to say a great deal of greed was in there too.
Still, there was a lot of insight to the quote attributed to British Prime Minister Tony Blair: When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, he said: "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... And how many want out."
Even today there are a great number of people who want to come to the U.S. because it is still, despite the problems, despite the mistakes, it is still the greatest nation on earth when it comes to opportunity. It is easier to "socially climb", it is easier for someone to start with nothing and become comfortably solvent...yes, it is possible but relatively rare to reach the stratusfied air of "wealthy"...but the numbers of people who become comfortable starting from humble beginnings is huge and limited only by the individual's drive. Well, and by the ever-grwoing inhibitors thrown in the way by well-meaning but idiotic government agents. Social workers. Whatever you want to call them. People who ensure there will be more welfare charges every month through their actions. Amazing how when people choose to rely on themselves they make advances they generally succeed but when they wait for the government to extend a helping hand the improvement is at best temporary and at worst a slide into the economic realms best exemplified by post-experiment Charlie's regression in the classic Flowers for Algernon.
I will say this. I strenuously object to illegal immigrants receiving welfare, social security, etc. I also strongly object to being required to learn the language of people coming here. No, that ain't how it works. Nor do I find it acceptable for people trying to make a new life here to insist on waving the flag of the place they left because of the quality of life, of trying to inject (forcibly) their own cultural mores into established society, and so forth. But don't even think about saying such a thing in public unless you are willing to be vilified and castigated as hateful and racist. Bull smurf.
It is not hateful to disagree. It is not racist to object to things that promote disunity. In fact, it is those trying to change the national paradigm who are acting in racist and hateful ways. By co-opting the media and people who think with their emotions instead of their brains they have caused perceptions to be turned upside down. Enough already. Enough.
To those coming to work hard, obey the laws, blend into the culture, welcome. I wish you the best. To those coming to break the laws, to champion their homeland...go home. Because this isn't your home. Kind of like a cheap hotel.