M. Jones: American culture

It is regrettable that the mayor of Lewiston has managed to alienate many of those he is meant to serve by appearing to imply that certain cultures are superior to others.

In uttering the words “accept our culture and leave your culture at the door,” he conveys a sense of "us and them." Robert Macdonald would do well to remember that the core values of America’s Founding Fathers were part of a culture that came from elsewhere.

The United States of America has benefited enormously from successive generations of settlers, including those from the Horn of Africa, who have brought their own skills, passions and positivity.

It is essential that civic leaders work assiduously to foster and strengthen communal understanding.

Mark Jones, London, executive director

Horn of Africa Business Association, London

In order to make comments, you must verify your account.

In order to comment on SunJournal.com, you must use your real name and include the town in which you live in your profile. A member of our staff will call you to verify this information. To join in, fill out your user profile completely and check the box "please verify my status." We'll get back to you within one business day to verify your account.

Login or create an account here.

Our policy prohibits comments that are:

  • Defamatory, abusive, obscene, racist, or otherwise hateful
  • Excessively foul and/or vulgar
  • Inappropriately sexual
  • Baseless personal attacks or otherwise threatening
  • Contain illegal material, or material that infringes on the rights of others
  • Commercial postings attempting to sell a product/item
If you violate this policy, your comment will be removed and your account may be banned.

Advertisement

Comments

Pirate's picture
verified

London doesn't have enough of

London doesn't have enough of its own problems that you have to meddle in those of Lewiston, Maine, U.S.A.?

Rev Jim's picture
verified

American culture

can not survive if a "Sharia culture" ( a lack of tolerance ) is allowed to thrive within our borders. this is one culture that certainly should be left at the border !

Frostproof's picture
verified

Mr. Jones, certain cultures are superior.

You are correct. America was built by immigrants from all over the world with their own "skills, passions and positivity". Those are individual characteristics that do not necessarily have anything to do with the "culture" an individual is born into.

It is said that playing sports does not build character, it reveals it. Similarly, culture does not create "skills, passions and positivity", it reveals them. The typical immigrant moves from a culture that suppresses "skills, passions and positivity", to the, yes, superior culture that encourages them.

It used to be that the typical US immigrant was happy to learn English and our history and structure, to become a citizen, to vote and to exercise all the other rights we take for granted - and to shoulder the responsibilities. It's rather atypical nowadays. If the effort is successful to drag American culture down the level of, yes, Somalia, the entire world will be poorer for it.

Pirate's picture
verified

One of the oldest sayings

One of the oldest sayings known to man, other than, "Shut the **** up", is, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". Far too many of us have forgotten that, and certainly, no one is taking it into account when dealing with our immigrant neighbors.

mgr's picture
verified

Mark, This content coming

Mark,

This content coming from a country whose civic leaders banned Michael Savage, an American icon, from entering England. What happened to England’s tolerance?

Advertisement

Stay informed — Get the news delivered for free in your inbox.

I'm interested in ...