Yes, More Head 'Splodery

[Caution, really long post containing things that make my head explode to follow. However, I suspect you all will be mildly amused, just saying]

[Updated: I had originally posted the first draft of my reply letter, which I copied before I sent it. I fiddled with the letter a bit, adding a couple of items and rewording a few things, but forgot to recopy it to the blog. Because I know that you, Dear Reader, demand accuracy - I have updated the post with a copy of the actual letter. It is essentially the same, just a bit more refined.]


As I mentioned previously, I seem to have somehow given the impression to a number of neo-con jackasses that I am one of them. One in particular, the local Scout Master, just will not a take a hint, and continues to forward me right-wing alarmist spam. This irritates me. And, as most of you know, irritate me enough and eventually I reach a point where I stop being a polite civilian and revert to mean, nasty, brutally blunt Warrant Officer mode.

Today is that day.

First the original email in it's original (mostly) format. I did make the font smaller, since it was originally about 24pt - you can thank me later. CK is the neo-con jackass in question. He has the annoying habit of abbreviating names and big words, and using symbols and numbers instead of spelling things out. Mostly, I believe, because he is a) afraid of computers and teh gay interweebs, and b) because he types like a one fingered three-year old. I've seen this dreck before, but when it ends up in my box with a caveat to 'mull it over and ACT', yeah, the internal pressure in my brainium starts to fizz and bubble:

__________________

All,

... mull this over & ACT.

CK

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 4:57 PM
Subject: America's Suicide

This is an interesting must read!

Subject: America's Suicide

Wherever you stand, please take the time to read this; it ought to scare
the beejeebers out of you!

We know Dick Lamm as the former Governor of Colorado. In that context his thoughts are particularly poignant. Last week there was an immigration overpopulation conference in Washington DC, filled to capacity by many of America's finest minds and leaders. A brilliant college professor by the name of Victor Hansen Davis talked about his latest book, 'Mexifornia, explaining how immigration, both legal and illegal, was destroying the entire state of California. He said it would march across the country until it destroyed all vestiges of The American Dream.

Moments later, former Colorado Governor Richard D. Lamm stood up and gave a stunning speech on how to destroy America. The audience sat spellbound as he described eight methods for the destruction of the United States. He said, 'If you believe that America is too smug, too self-satisfied, too rich, then let's destroy America. It is not that hard to do. No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and fall and that an autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.''

'Here is how they do it,' Lamm said: 'First, to destroy America, turn America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country. History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for a society to be bilingual. The historical scholar, Seymour Lipset, put it this way: 'The histories of bilingual and bicultural societies that do not assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension, and tragedy. Canada, Belgium, Malaysia, and Lebanon all face crises of national existence in which minorities press for autonomy, if not independence. Pakistan and Cyprus have divided. Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion. France faces difficulties with Basques, Bretons, Corsicans, and Muslims.'

Lamm went on: 'Second, to destroy America, invent multiculturalism and encourage immigrants to maintain their culture. Make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal; that there are no cultural differences. Make it an article of faith that the Black and Hispanic dropout rates are due solely to prejudice and discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out of bounds.

'Third, we could make the United States an 'Hispanic Quebec' without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. As Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly recently: 'The apparent success of our own multi-ethnic and multicultural experiment might have been achieved not by tolerance, but by hegemony. Without the dominance that once dictated ethnocentricity and what it meant to be an American, we are left with only tolerance and pluralism to hold us together.' Lamm said, 'I would encourage all immigrants to keep their own language and culture. I would replace the melting pot metaphor with the salad bowl metaphor. It is important to ensure that we have various cultural subgroups living in America enforcing their differences rather than as Americans, emphasizing their similarities.'

'Fourth, I would make our fastest growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated, and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50% dropout rate from high school.'

'My fifth point for destroying America would be to get big foundations and businesses to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of 'Victimology.' I would get all minorities to think that their lack of success was the fault of the majority.
I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority plation.'

'My sixth plan for America's downfall would include dual citizenship, and
promote divided loyalties. I would celebrate diversity over unity. I would
stress differences rather than similarities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other - that is, when they are not killing each other. A diverse, peaceful, or stable society is against most historical precet. People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together. Look at the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same race; they possessed a common language and literature; and they worshipped the same gods. All Greece took part in the Olympic games. A common enemy, Persia, threatened their liberty. Yet all these bonds were
not strong enough to overcome two factors: local patriotism and geographical conditions that nurtured political divisions. Greece fell. 'E. Pluribus Unum -- From many, one. In that historical reality, if we put the emphasis on the 'pluribus' instead of the 'Unum,' we will 'Balkanize' America as surely as Kosovo.'

'Next to last, I would place all subjects off limits. Make it taboo to talk about anything against the cult of 'diversity.' I would find a word similar to 'heretic' in the 16th century - that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like 'racist' or 'xenophobe' halt discussion and debate.
Having made America a bilingual/bicultural country, having established
multi-cultum, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of 'Victimology ' I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws. I would develop a mantra: That because immigration has been good for America, it must always be good. I would make every individual immigrant symmetric and ignore the cumulative impact of millions of them.'

In the last minute of his speech, Governor Lamm wiped his brow. Profound silence followed. Finally he said, 'Lastly, I would censor Victor Hanson Davis's book 'Mexifornia.' His book is dangerous. It exposes the plan to destroy America. If you feel America deserves to be destroyed, don't read that book.'

There was no applause. A chilling fear quietly rose like an ominous cloud above every attendee at the conference. Every American in that room knew that everything Lamm enumerated was proceeding methodically, quietly, darkly, yet pervasively across the United States today. Discussion is being suppressed. Over 100 languages are ripping the foundation of our educational system and national cohesiveness. Even barbaric cultures that practice female genital mutilation are growing as we celebrate 'diversity.' American jobs are vanishing into the Third World as corporations create a Third World in America. Take note of California and other states. To date, ten million illegal aliens and growing fast. It is reminiscent of George Orwell's book 1984.' In that story, three slogans are engraved in the Ministry of Truth building: 'War is peace,' 'Freedom is slavery,' and 'Ignorance is strength.'

Governor Lamm walked back to his seat. It dawned on everyone at the conference that our nation and the future of this great democracy is deeply in trouble and worsening fast. If we don't get this immigration monster stopped within three years, it will rage like a California wildfire and destroy everything in its path, especially The American Dream.

________________________

Here's my reply. I think it gets the point across. But it is possible that I was too subtle, you decide:

Note: in the reply below I mention a 'memorial wall.' Each Memorial Day, CK puts on his Scout Uniform and lays a wreath in front of the MatSu Valley Veteran's Memorial - he likes to equate his Scout Uniform and his wreath laying to actual, you know, military service - of which he has precisely none.

Additional Note: for those of you who have not served in the military, please do not take what follows as a slap in the face. It is directed at one person, and one person only - and strictly because he continues to harp at me about 'patriotism' and 'duty' and 'sacrifice.' He lectures me ad nauseum about military service and how you're not a true America patriot if you haven't served and more importantly if you're not a straight Christian Caucasian (and yeah, you know, a Huckabee supporter) - and yet when questioned about his own service, explains that he had a family and obligations and his poor old mother was sick and yadda yadda during Vietnam, but he would have loved to have served if it wasn't for his bum knee and ... and etcetera etcetera and etcetera. So, this reply is directed at his hypocritical ass, not you. I don't care if you've served or not - I sincerely respect you either way, as long as you don't, you know, act like a hypocritical fucktard.

Anyway, my reply:
________________________

[CK]

Please stop sending this garbage to me. I find this type of racist, right-wing, alarmist spam annoying and offensive. And I am insulted by your comment that I should “mull this over & ACT.” Personally, I don’t care what you think of me, however when you include me in a group email of this nature, you imply publicly that I share your beliefs, this is emphatically not the case and I resent the implication.

It is obvious that you have no idea of who I am or what I believe in. And since politely ignoring your xenophobic nonsense obviously does not work, I will explain my position bluntly so that you do not make this mistake in the future.

For the record, I have done far more than simply ‘mull it over’ and my actions are a matter of record. My opinions are based on a lifetime of experience and action, not neo-conservative alarmism and racist scare-tactics. While you and Dick Lamm were sitting around talking about patriotism and how the country is going to hell in a hand basket, I was serving the United States in uniform. I spent 24 years in military service, honorably retiring my sword six months ago. I served in two wars and numerous actions short of war, as both an enlisted man and as an officer. I was decorated thirteen times, including citations for valor in combat and for saving the lives of 43 Iraqis. I led US fighting men on four continents and six oceans. For two and half decades I upheld my oath to the Constitution of the United States and the Navy core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment. These actions are a matter of public record; as such, I am sick and tired of attempts by those who have never served this country – those who have never put their own ass on the line – to lecture me on patriotism and service. And I am fed up with your racist, xenophobic, homophobic, and bigoted agenda.

Here’s something for you to mull over: many of the people I served alongside were immigrants, or the children of immigrants. Many were not even US citizens. A significant fraction of US military forces are made up of men and women from Mexico, Liberia, the Philippines, and many other nations – including Middle Eastern nations. They are men and women of many religions or none, of many races and ethnicities, who speak many languages, and who have many and diverse traditions and histories, but who all have sworn to stand together and uphold the fundamental principles of the US Constitution. They are men and women who have come to this country seeking a better life for themselves and their families. They have voluntarily sworn serve and defend America and they are out there right now in the dark and dangerous corners of the world fighting for your right to call them unfit. They have placed their own precious selves in harm’s way in the service of a flag that is not even their own so that they and their children may one day share in the American dream. Many have returned in body bags. They lay entombed in the soil of a foreign nation far from their families and homes, buried honorably beneath the American flag. Some were my friends and shipmates and they have done far more than either you or Dick Lamm, or the current jackass of a President for that matter, to secure the future this country. But because they spoke a language other than your own, you ignore and deride their sacrifice under the very banner that keeps you free. I suggest you mull that over, and your hypocrisy, the next time you stand smugly self-righteous in your scout leader uniform before the memorial wall.

Regarding the xenophobic nonsense below, nearly every bit of it is easily proved false, but you’d have to look at more than just neo-con propaganda. Throughout history, there have been many, many multicultural and multilingual nations that have enjoyed long and rich histories, many still exist today and I’ve visited a number, you might do some research before propagating this crap across the internet. As to America, my own great grand parents were Dutch and Irish immigrants. They, like millions of others including your own ancestors I suspect, came to these shores decades ago. They brought with them their own languages, beliefs, cultures, and traditions – and far from destroying America, they enriched it. They built the railroads, and the farms, and the factories. They dug the mines and built the dams. They became doctors, and policemen, and scientists. And when this country was in need, they marched to war and many did not come home again. But throughout it all, many kept their languages and culture alive. Today the result is St. Patrick’s Day, Pulaski Days, Mardi Gras, the German fair, the Scottish Highland Games, Cinco de Mayo, China Town, Black History month, Jewish Kosher delis, pizza, loan words that have expanded American English, and a thousand other things that have made America a dynamic and vibrant culture. Far from destroying America, those immigrants built America – and today’s immigrants are no different. They come here for the same reasons your ancestors did, and they look upon this land with exactly the same sense of wonder and awe that my own great grand parents did. Today immigrants pick the fruits and vegetables you enjoy year around for low prices. They do the menial labor in restaurants and hotels and factories that you wouldn’t dream of stooping to. They work in the sweat shops of New York and Chicago so you can wear shirts with “made in America” labels on them, and they wear the same clothes you do and are just as proud to do so. They work for far less than minimum wage, and they scrimp and save, so that their children may one day have something better – exactly as your own ancestors did. They may speak a different language, or worship different gods, or have different traditions - just as your ancestors did - but their children will speak English and be as American as you and I. Their diversity adds to our strength, your fear and small mindedness subtracts from it.

In the entrance to New York Harbor, stands a gift from France and the very symbol of America: the Statue of Liberty. She stands upon a marble pedestal, and engraved at her feet are the following words: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door. These words were not meant for only English speaking Christian white people, but for all of mankind. These are the people I fought for, and alongside of. These are the people who gave their lives to secure your freedom.

I suggest you and Dick get used it.

I do not associate with bigots, racists, anti-Semites, homophobes, or people who think that ‘patriotism’ means hate and fear. If you had any questions as to why I pulled my son out of your scout troop, this should pretty much clear up the matter.

You are not welcome in my household. Cease, immediately, any further correspondence, phone calls, or visits. If you attempt to contact me in the future, I will consider it harassment and take appropriate action.

Jim Wright, Chief Warrant Officer, United States Navy (ret).

________________

Too subtle?

One final thing: I hit 'reply to all' on this. So if you hear what sounds like neocon, racist, homophobic, xenophobic, Christian White People heads exploding all over the country - well, you know, it's a good thing, don't be alarmed.