In Merging is Strength

How do we build a unified country that is willing to stand together to protect our freedoms?

Some speak of swallowing up other cultures. That's an inflamatory way to put it. I do think we need to look at the incorporation of other cultures - but, I believe incorporation is a better way to state it than "swallowing up."

I grew up in an area of people of predominately Norwegian background separated by a simple road from an area of people of predominately Polish background.

Unlike the cultural conclaves of today, both groups strived to become American, wanted to become American, and especially wanted their children to be Americans. Even so, there were some clashes, some disrespectful comments, and some children's fights -- misunderstandings due to cultural differences.

But these were not blown out of proportion and into actual harm by parents behaving like idiots. No, these parents expected better from their children and did not allow or encourage the kids to be unaccepting of the differences. And the children, like the parents, WANTED to be Americans. We did not want a small Poland and a small Norway in America. We wanted to be, really be, Americans.

By now, because we wanted it so, it is established that we are all Americans FIRST, the two groups have intermingled and built a unified community so the different groups are no longer physically placed in separate areas. Intermarriage is common and ethnic differences are relegated to good-hearted jokes and wonderful celebrations and customs that are shared and attended by all.

Our small community is an excellent example of incorporation of differences: Polish sausage and lefse are commonly served at the same table; Catholics and Lutherans often pray together; women and men worship and work together.

The almost insurmountable differences of allegiance that kept Polish and Norsk conclaves apart and kept Catholics and Lutherans from accepting one another's faiths -- all due to belief systems and language differences that could have been passed down through generations of teaching the differences rather than emphasizing the similarities -- have been conquered, all melted away in the melting pot of America, because we wanted, really WANTED to be Americans. There are no Polish-Americans or Norwegian-Americans here. No! Just Americans proud to speak American English and communicate effectively with other Americans.

I myself am of Norse background while my husband is of Polish background. It is perfectly acceptable these days. We were even married in a church with both Catholic and Lutheran clergy participating! Not remarkable? Well, when I was a teen, a "mixed marriage" was a disgrace and one could not even be an official witness at a mixed wedding, much less a participant in the oaths.

We in our community do not feel "swallowed up," but rather liberated from cultural differences, thankful that we were allowed to become real Americans, as opposed to hyphenated Americans. (By the way, have you noticed that hyphenated Americans put America second? Is that a way to build a unified country?)

I see no reason why we can't teach Americanism as primary, multi-culturalism as secondary. This is America, after all. This is the place people want to come to.

If they want to make it into the kind of country they ran from, why make the trip? I'm just sayin', if their country was unacceptable, why make this country into the same unacceptable environment? Why not just stay where they were?

Merging is the basis of a strong country; emphasizing Americanism is the basis of a strong country. On the other hand, emphasizing conclaves of people held apart by language and customs is the basis of destabilization; emphasizing differences is the basis of destabilization.

Do we want a strong, unified country or do we want a weak, separatist country that will fall to undesired rule? If we are at odds with each other, how can we stand together to make sure we are governed rather than ruled?