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I received this as an e-mail the other day and can’t quite make up my mind whether it’s; offensive, racist or common sense. Is this view valid? If it’s not valid then why not? I personally don’t have a problem with it myself, but I am as always open minded.
Australia – The Right to Leave<br>Our Country – YOU Have the right – the right to leave !<br>After Sydney not wanting to offend other cultures by putting up Xmas<br>lights. After hearing that the State of South Australia changed its opinion and<br>let a Muslim woman have her picture on her driver’s license with her<br>face covered.
This prompted this editorial written by an Australian citizen.<br>Published in an Australian newspaper.
Quote:
IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It<br>I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some<br>individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we<br>have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.
However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the<br>"politically correct" crowd began complaining about the possibility<br>that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration,<br>nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by<br>coming to Australia.
However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to<br>our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.
This idea of Australia being a multicultural community has served only<br>to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Australians, we<br>have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own<br>lifestyle.
This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials<br>and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.
We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese,<br>Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part<br>of our society, Learn the language!
"In God We Trust" is our National Motto. This is not some Christian,<br>right wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian<br>men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this<br>is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on<br>the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you<br>consider another part of the world as your new home, Because God is<br>part of<br>our culture.
If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don’t like " A Fair Go",<br>then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this<br>planet.
We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, And we<br>really don’t care how you did things where you came from.
This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you<br>every opportunity to enjoy all this.
But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag,<br>Our Pledge, Our National Motto, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage<br>you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,
"THE RIGHT TO LEAVE".
If you aren’t happy here then f#@* off! We didn’t force you to come<br>here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.<br>Pretty easy really, when you think about it! <br>
Some thoughts:
Sydney not wanting to offend other cultures by putting up Xmas lights
That’s just daft.
I’m not christian but I like christmas lights and I’m sure most muslims in the UK like them too.
When I lived in Paris, I went along to the Chinese new year celebrations and dragon parade. And there was a big mix of races there to enjoy the spectacle. ÂÂÂ
I can’t think of a single reason why one part of society celebrating it’s culture in a positive way (whether it’s a religious festival or something like gay pride), is to the detriment of the rest of society. ÂÂÂ
(BTW I’m excluding things with a "nasty" edge such as orange walks) ÂÂÂ
IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It
Is that the same deal the Aussies accepted from the Aborigines?
This idea of Australia being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity.
Surely the arrival of the whites created a multicultural society?
As Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle.
I think this is a very "anglo-saxon" rewriting of Autralia’s history.
if you wish to become part of our society, Learn the language!
Good advice for anyone who has moved to a country with a different language and wants to get the most out of the experience.
That also applies to Aussies who move to Europe. The number of Aussies I met who lived in Paris but never tried to speak the language….
"In God We Trust" is our National Motto…..It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools."
Personally, I believe religion and the state should be kept separate. And that must mean that it should be kept out of the state schools too. ÂÂÂ
However, that’s the national slogan and I don’t see why people of other monotheistic faiths have to read it as "in the christian god, we trust" rather than "in allah we trust" (or whatever).
Over here we’ve got "god save the queen" which for an agnostic republican like me is pretty much meaningless. But each to his own. ÂÂÂ
Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation
I thought criminals founded their nation. And those criminals were there for breaking the laws of Britain which were based on teh 10 commandments (thou shalt not steal etc).
Don’t sound like very good christians to me…
" A Fair Go"
What’s "a fair go"? It beats the motto of Lanarkshire, which is " a square go".
We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, And we really don’t care how you did things where you came from.
No desire to change? Really????
So, when another country invents a faster PC, they’ve no interest in using it? Or any other invention?
That’s pretty stupid. Change happens all the time and cultures are constantly learning from each other.
It seems to me that the writer wants to freeze-frame Australia in some idyllic time when Aussie culture was where he wanted it to be (white, anglo-saxon and christian). Personally, I doubt that that’s been any time in the last 50 years, if it was any time at all.
I think it’s pretty sad.
And pretty hypocritical given the way Aussies hold onto their own culture in this country.
Steve
(Edited by stevedvg at 1:11 pm on July 26, 2005)
I didn’t realise that Australians spoke English.
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highways"The right to leave" must be a new concept. I don’t think it was enjoyed by the many thousands sent there on prison ships.
Personally I don’t see any problem with the article, mainly because I agree with it (more in the context of this country really). We’ve had the whole banning of Christmas lights/cards/plays etc here as well and it’s just completely ridiculous. Sometimes I think the PC lobby say these things are "offensive" just to stir things up, because I doubt most minority cultures really take offence to these things (and if they do it’s their problem IMHO).
What is this? Looks like a lame excuse to post some fundamentally racist right-wing clap-trap to me…
Each to their own, Dave!
Nice to see our resident Tory Tori rising to the challenge though!!!
:)
Whilst not supporting the "racist right-wing clap-trap to me" as NV so eloquently puts it. I do think that in some ways, there is an arguement for immigrants being given an "induction" to the country they arrive in. I believe France do this, teaching them french, french culture and history. This seems logical to me, allowing the immigrants to intergrate faster and to have an input into society faster. However, I do not think it is a "magic wand" that would solve all the problems. I do think that the major rather than the minor onus is on the immegrant/s integrating rather than transferring their total culture some of which can be at odds with their destination country.
While we’re at it, I think it might be a good idea to educate some of the people who were born and bred here about the history/culture of the country they so glibly state they are proud of. For example, many ‘English’ people would cite Shakespeare as part of the culture they are proud of, yet would be unable to recall the names of all but a handful of his plays. Recent polls indicate a frightening number of people were entirely unaware of Lord Nelson or the battle of Trafalgar. It astonishes me that there are adults in this country who on the one hand loudly proclaim their allegience to English culture, but who have no idea what it means. Eastenders, reality tv shows, dodgy children’s books, fast food and American films does not constitute a culture, certainly not one worth preserving. I am all for immigrants being taught English and about the British democratic system, history and our cultural heritage (and we should point out that many immigrants are keen to do so) But first we have to ask ourselves some questions. Do we really want to preserve our heritage and what are we prepared to do about it?
By the way, I am not talking about teenagers here. There are men and women I work with who are in their forties and fifties and who haven’t the foggiest idea about British history, literature, art, or how the institutions of this country work. Indeed, some of them seem only to have a passing familiarity with the English language. Yet ask them the latest storyline in Coronation Street or how much a Big Mac is and they’ll have no trouble.
I suppose this is also a long winded way of asking what we mean by culture.
non vintage Posted on 9:29 pm on July 27, 2005 <br>What is this? Looks like a lame excuse to post some fundamentally racist right-wing clap-trap to me…
<br>Why do you believe that it’s fundamentally rascist right wing clap trap?
Aranalde
The number of people in this country (white British, born & bred) who say things like "he’s went to the shops" astonishes me.
And I’m not just talking about footballers.
As for the history part, I was watching Big Brother a few weeks ago (I know, I know) and they had a quiz. Someone was asked when the 2ns World War was and she said "1966?".
Steve
Good examples Steve.
I regularly drive past a pub that has recently started offering bed and breakfast. The landlord chose to advertise this diversification of his business with a large blackboard proudly proclaiming, ‘Acomadashun here’. I kid you not. In this case, the issue is not that he has trouble spelling, but that he thinks it doesn’t matter.
To your historical example, I would add a geographical one. Taken from The Weakest Link, via Private Eye:
Anne Robinson: "The M27 links Southampton with which other south coast city?"<br>Contestant: "Leeds."
The prosecution rests.
It astonishes me that there are adults in this country who on the one hand loudly proclaim their allegience to English culture, but who have no idea what it means.
Arndale I think you mean BRITISH culture and BRITISH history.
Dungheap
Actually, it has been my experience that it is the English who are most at fault (witness the feeble attempts to whip up St George’s Day fever every year in the media). I take your point, that of course, the words English and British are not interchangeable, though I would suggest that in the minds of many English people they are.
But I’d be interested in your opinion on the wider subject of what exactly people mean when they talk about ‘culture’?
this<br>culture
• noun 1 the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. 2 a refined understanding or appreciation of this. 3 the customs, institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or group. 4 the cultivation of plants, breeding of animals, or production of cells or tissues. 5 a preparation of cells grown in an artificial medium containing nutrients.<br>
Dungheap
Thank you for that extract from your dictionary.
I do think that in some ways, there is an arguement for immigrants being given an "induction" to the country they arrive in. I believe France do this, teaching them french, french culture and history. This seems logical to me, allowing the immigrants to intergrate faster and to have an input into society faster. However, I do not think it is a "magic wand" that would solve all the problems. I do think that the major rather than the minor onus is on the immegrant/s integrating rather than transferring their total culture some of which can be at odds with their destination country.
You used the word ‘culture’ twice in that paragraph. I was merely enquiring, since the word ‘culture’ has been bandied about in this thread, what people mean when they talk about culture. Specifically, what aspects of British ‘culture’ would you expect immigrants to be made familiar with?
(Edited by Aranalde at 3:26 pm on July 28, 2005)
fish and chips roast beef sunday pint before dinner a highland wedding cornish game of euchre queing not spitting politeness fair play irish craic welsh legends vaux beer eels and liquor stiff upper lip…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
there are many and varied and culture is like the dictionary says a collective thing. But my remarks were more towards our respect for other people and their religeons, tolerance and a sense of fair play.
Dungheap
Some very good suggestions there.
I think immigrants to Britain should be encouraged to learn English and should be expected to abide by the laws of the land and where these laws run contrary to any religious or cultural beliefs they hold, then the laws should take precedence (I think the ritual slaughter of animals comes into this category).
But I sometimes wonder whether we aren’t guilty of deluding ourselves about what modern Britain is like. I was brought up to believe in politeness, tolerance, not littering, spitting in the street, etc. But in all honesty, I can’t really say those qualities are common to the British these days. Rudeness and discourtesy are commonplace, people spit in the street all the time and, as a nation, we are becoming prone to hysterical outbursts, such as that which followed the death of Princess Diana.
My point is this: if people who are born and bred here think its okay to spit, to swear, to get drunk and throw up in city centres, to behave rudely and discourteously to others; if we place so little value on our own history and cultural heritage, if the television programmes we choose to watch and the newspapers we demand to read are focused entirely on celebrity gossip, mindless violence and the celebration of ignorance and stupidity should we really be asking immigrants to respect a fictional idea of ‘Britishness’ that doesn’t actually exist.
And if there are to be citizenship tests in which people are tested on their knowledge of the English language, history and institutions, then everyone should take it. Perhaps if anyone scores less than 10%, they should be stripped of their British citizenship. (Including Wayne Rooney and everyone in the Big Brother house).
I’m afraid if anyone were to offer me a plate of eels, I would have to politely decline. Ditto for cockles, winkles and steak and kidney pie. Fish and chips though, should be compulsory.
On a completely different subject, was anyone caught up in that tornado today? I work in the centre of Brum but saw nothing beyond a very nasty storm. A Gregg’s bakers shop had its roof torn off and there were reports of sausage rolls flying down the road. Pretty scary to be caught up in it though, I imagine
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