Australia

[GCT_89]

Australia - The Right to Leave

After Sydney not wanting to offend other cultures by putting up Xmas lights.
After hearing that the State of South Australia changed its opinion and let a Muslim woman have her picture on her driver's license with her face covered.

This prompted this editorial written by an Australian citizen. Published in an Australian newspaper.
Quote:

IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It! I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.

However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia.

However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.

This idea of Australia being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle.

This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, Learn the language!

'In God We Trust' is our National Motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you
consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.
If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like 'A Fair Go', then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet.
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.

This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this.

But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our National Motto, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,

'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE!

If you aren't happy here then move on! We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted. Pretty easy really, when you think about it.

Interesting..........now discuss

[kwigibo]

Xenophobic and misinformed and very loosely veiled bigotry. "In God We Trust" is not our national motto among the many incorrect assertions and weak strawman arguments in this juvenile attack on the perceived evils of cultural tolerance and flexibility.

I don't find it the least bit interesting, only disturbing and unfortunate that sentiments like these* are sincerely held by many of my fellow Australians.

*(but as Diehard points out below, surely not exactly like these)

[DIEHARD]

Sounds like some American chain letter with some words altered.

The In God We Trust part and the bit about other languages, Spanish is the first mentioned. Which is widely spoken in the USA but hardly here.

[kwigibo]

Sounds like some American chain letter with some words altered.

The In God We Trust part and the bit about other languages, Spanish is the first mentioned. Which is widely spoken in the USA but hardly here.

My suspicion as well. Southern Cross seems shoehorned in, doesn't it, how can a constellation offend any mentally sound person? We don't have a pledge either. One irony is, the 'christian nation' spiel is very obviously a transplanted American sentiment that doesn't really fit Australia, but America has a very clear constitutional separation of Church and State where we unfortunately do not have any explicitly spelled out separation. So it's probably more technically correct in this form for which it was not originally intended even if it doesn't really make sense in a modern Australian cultural context. Still incredibly intolerant.

[DIEHARD]

One thing I really hate is how rednecks hijack the Southern Cross. It's sacred to me and it will be our national flag one day soon when we become a republic.

As usual the best answer lies in between two points. Yes everyone should learn English but more so for their own sake of social inclusion and a fair go at getting ahead in life.

Also I think so much of, well depending on the way you look at it, nearly all Australian culture has been off the back of immigrants.

Besides this is just a baseless chainletter.

http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/beamerican.html

[GCT_89]

awwwww..... come on guys, i just wanted to have some fun......

[~lee~]

The four greatest words in the english language "I'm not racist, but..."

Would you ever start a sentence off "I am racist, but..."

Learning a new countries language should always be a priority or else you'll forever live in a bubble to those around you. In saying that the english sure know how to make spain feel like england.

How does australian life continue on without tacky christmas lights at a supermarket?

[DIEHARD]

Thread closed. It's run it's course. Appreciate that I left it open for so long.

This sort of discussion, sweeping statements and attacks aren't healthy for the forum or our users. There are plenty of other places on the net that would welcome it.