Dear Forum Members,
I read your posts with great interest almost every day. In a very short time I have come to know some of you by your writing, and what you have to say enlightens me in many ways. I think that we really have a true community of sorts, so what I am about to write should not be considered an ad hominem attack on anyone, nor am I a racist but I am a culturalist which I define as being one who places great value on the traditional cultural and educational values associated with Western Civilization or what my friends in Cambridge and elsewhere might refer to as Euro-Centric. This does not mean that I haven't lived in non-western cultures because I have, and at one time or another I did upper-division or graduate work in the history of China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and India at several universities (including the famous one on the Charles River in Cambridge, but only as an Extension Student). I understand that we live in a global economy, and that in the context of the world at large, persons of Euro-American descent are a definite minority. My immediate family is multi-racial reflecting Malayasian ethnicity and my extended family includes African-American members. In terms of religion, members of my immediate family are: Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Agnostics, Athiests and Evangelical Christians and one non-practicing Jew. So I celebrate diversity anytime the family gets together. I have lived in Alaska, Arizona, California (2X), Colorado (3X), Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas.
So despite all of this diversity or perhaps because of it, I firmly believe that to survive as a viable nation-state we must have a certain degree of consensus. It is imperative that we have a few common values and a shared sense of national identity and history to survive.
Fifty years ago we had this to a much larger degree than we do today. Somewhere in our quest for personal freedom from virtually everything, we seem to want to destroy those very cultural icons which in the past have been cornerstones for our culture.
I note with great interest the thread on Blue Laws, for example. Well, fifty years ago, people thought it was okay for stores not to be open on Sunday or Thanksgiving or Christmas...Why ? Because there was a consensus that Sundays were for worship and rest, and Thanksgiving and Christmas were holidays. Now...before you raise the ugly word religion, I would point out that both Jews and Seventh Day Adventists observe their Sabbath on Saturday, and no one prevented them from observing their Sabbath on those days, but these minorities were accomodated, but it was still the consensus of the majority that Sunday was the day of rest and worship. Funny thing, most states especially those, in the Northeast, Mid-West, and South had blue laws, and there was cultural consensus that that was okay, you see in those days people practiced freedom of religion, whereas today we practice freedom from religion. As a result of this, I think all religious groups today, have become more militant or strident in pushing their agenda.
Our immigration laws prior to 1965 reflected quotas that were strongly European. Regretably, there was a racist dynamic to this, but at the same time, but encouraging immigration from European countries, our nation was ensuring cultural consensus, and at the same time allowed non-Europeans to come to our shores as well. The problem with many of the new immigrants is that they choose not to assimilate. Now certain sociologists point out that they cannot assimliate due to cultural predjudices towards them, but it would appear that some non-European groups are assimliating and availing themselves of the educational and economic opportunities that this country does offer.
Racism. continues to be the major blight on the American cultural landscape, yet how many people are chastised by their own ethnic or racial group when they seek to assimilate mainstream values and are accused of talking or acting "white"? I do not profess to have an answer to this problem, but the continued Balkanization of America will create a volatile situation.
A lot of people like to knock Massachusetts. I live here by choice. Yeah, the gun laws suck, but guns are not my whole life. In fact when I moved here, and got my first non-resident gun license, this was the first time in my life that I could carry a concealed weapon. Arizona didn't have concealed carry permits back then, or Texas. We have some of the greatest cultural institutions in the world, some of the best sports teams, some of the finest medical facilities, and like it or not some of the best colleges and universities. If you want it to be like Omaha, or Little Rock, or Boise or wherever, then go to those places and live. In many ways New England was the last region to be naitonalized by chain stores and restaurants, and for much of the history of this country led the nation in many areas. I mourn the passing of Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Howard Johnson's, Lechemere, and so many other commerical endeavors that were local and regional. I live in Leominster, a city with landmark Italian restaurants, yet an Olive Garden is scheduled to open here. I'm not saying that an Olive Garden is bad, it just isn't needed and it won't be as good as what I can get locally. But no doubt, the public will flock there.
The clock will not turn back and with approximately 2/3rds of my life lived, I know that change is inevitable...but is all change good ? We used to have the best telephone system in the world, until it was deregulated, now it is as good as everyone else's, same could be said for air travel and now utility companies.
I don't profess to have answers. I hope that somewhere along the line we can strike a balance between respecting the rights of individuals and at the same time respect the consensus of the many. Can we be a society of individuals or is that a contradiction of terms ? It is a brave new world that we are living in, and for me, interesting times in which to live.
caveat lector,
Mark
I read your posts with great interest almost every day. In a very short time I have come to know some of you by your writing, and what you have to say enlightens me in many ways. I think that we really have a true community of sorts, so what I am about to write should not be considered an ad hominem attack on anyone, nor am I a racist but I am a culturalist which I define as being one who places great value on the traditional cultural and educational values associated with Western Civilization or what my friends in Cambridge and elsewhere might refer to as Euro-Centric. This does not mean that I haven't lived in non-western cultures because I have, and at one time or another I did upper-division or graduate work in the history of China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and India at several universities (including the famous one on the Charles River in Cambridge, but only as an Extension Student). I understand that we live in a global economy, and that in the context of the world at large, persons of Euro-American descent are a definite minority. My immediate family is multi-racial reflecting Malayasian ethnicity and my extended family includes African-American members. In terms of religion, members of my immediate family are: Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Agnostics, Athiests and Evangelical Christians and one non-practicing Jew. So I celebrate diversity anytime the family gets together. I have lived in Alaska, Arizona, California (2X), Colorado (3X), Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas.
So despite all of this diversity or perhaps because of it, I firmly believe that to survive as a viable nation-state we must have a certain degree of consensus. It is imperative that we have a few common values and a shared sense of national identity and history to survive.
Fifty years ago we had this to a much larger degree than we do today. Somewhere in our quest for personal freedom from virtually everything, we seem to want to destroy those very cultural icons which in the past have been cornerstones for our culture.
I note with great interest the thread on Blue Laws, for example. Well, fifty years ago, people thought it was okay for stores not to be open on Sunday or Thanksgiving or Christmas...Why ? Because there was a consensus that Sundays were for worship and rest, and Thanksgiving and Christmas were holidays. Now...before you raise the ugly word religion, I would point out that both Jews and Seventh Day Adventists observe their Sabbath on Saturday, and no one prevented them from observing their Sabbath on those days, but these minorities were accomodated, but it was still the consensus of the majority that Sunday was the day of rest and worship. Funny thing, most states especially those, in the Northeast, Mid-West, and South had blue laws, and there was cultural consensus that that was okay, you see in those days people practiced freedom of religion, whereas today we practice freedom from religion. As a result of this, I think all religious groups today, have become more militant or strident in pushing their agenda.
Our immigration laws prior to 1965 reflected quotas that were strongly European. Regretably, there was a racist dynamic to this, but at the same time, but encouraging immigration from European countries, our nation was ensuring cultural consensus, and at the same time allowed non-Europeans to come to our shores as well. The problem with many of the new immigrants is that they choose not to assimilate. Now certain sociologists point out that they cannot assimliate due to cultural predjudices towards them, but it would appear that some non-European groups are assimliating and availing themselves of the educational and economic opportunities that this country does offer.
Racism. continues to be the major blight on the American cultural landscape, yet how many people are chastised by their own ethnic or racial group when they seek to assimilate mainstream values and are accused of talking or acting "white"? I do not profess to have an answer to this problem, but the continued Balkanization of America will create a volatile situation.
A lot of people like to knock Massachusetts. I live here by choice. Yeah, the gun laws suck, but guns are not my whole life. In fact when I moved here, and got my first non-resident gun license, this was the first time in my life that I could carry a concealed weapon. Arizona didn't have concealed carry permits back then, or Texas. We have some of the greatest cultural institutions in the world, some of the best sports teams, some of the finest medical facilities, and like it or not some of the best colleges and universities. If you want it to be like Omaha, or Little Rock, or Boise or wherever, then go to those places and live. In many ways New England was the last region to be naitonalized by chain stores and restaurants, and for much of the history of this country led the nation in many areas. I mourn the passing of Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Howard Johnson's, Lechemere, and so many other commerical endeavors that were local and regional. I live in Leominster, a city with landmark Italian restaurants, yet an Olive Garden is scheduled to open here. I'm not saying that an Olive Garden is bad, it just isn't needed and it won't be as good as what I can get locally. But no doubt, the public will flock there.
The clock will not turn back and with approximately 2/3rds of my life lived, I know that change is inevitable...but is all change good ? We used to have the best telephone system in the world, until it was deregulated, now it is as good as everyone else's, same could be said for air travel and now utility companies.
I don't profess to have answers. I hope that somewhere along the line we can strike a balance between respecting the rights of individuals and at the same time respect the consensus of the many. Can we be a society of individuals or is that a contradiction of terms ? It is a brave new world that we are living in, and for me, interesting times in which to live.
caveat lector,
Mark
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
). I agree. And, although I fully support anyone moving to this country LEGALLY their right to uphold their traditions, this IS America - don't expect me to learn YOUR language. 
