From: ibshambat@gmail.com   
      
   I have heard it any number of Americans say that many immigrants think that   
   they are better than Americans. I recommend the American thing to do: See it   
   from their side.   
      
   Say you are 12, and you come from the former Soviet Union. You have put a vast   
   effort into your education. You have been doing 4 hours of homework every day.   
   You have been learning all sorts of advanced material that is very difficult   
   to learn. You have    
   better work habits – and more ambition – at age 12 than many people do   
   when they are adults.   
      
   Then you come to America. The people there have put in nowhere nearly the same   
   effort as you have into their education. They think that your knowledge is   
   worthless. They think that you are a know-it-all or worse. They think that the   
   only thing that    
   matters in life is common sense and social skills. How are you going to react   
   if you are 12?   
      
   In my adult life, I have had to separate the legitimate from the illegitimate.   
   It is legitimate to be angry at people who have not put the same effort as you   
   have but treat you like dirt. It is not legitimate to feel malice to a whole   
   country, even if    
   you are Jewish and the country is Germany or if you are Iranian and the   
   country is Israel or the United States. I have long since gotten rid of the   
   malice, largely as a result of the input of many other people, some of whom   
   were trying to be helpful and    
   some who were not. This then makes it possible for me to advocate for the   
   perspective of immigrants in a much calmer and more reasonable manner.   
      
   I have heard it said by many that immigrants should assimilate. In fact there   
   is a place both for those who do and those who don't. Countries – and   
   America especially – grow largely by putting into themselves valuable things   
   from elsewhere. Very    
   little of any kind of good is done by Muslims who go into disadvantaged   
   communities and gang-rape young women or tell men there to beat their   
   girlfriends and wives. But much good is done by any number of others.   
   Americans dine at Mexican restaurants,    
   drive Japanese cars, watch movies made by Jews, look at sports played by black   
   people, hire Indian programmers. All of these people do as much – if not   
   more – for America than do those who simply assimilate.   
      
   In my family, some assimilated and some did not. My parents assimilated into   
   America, and they've lived fairly comfortable lives. I did my own thing, and   
   my life has been less comfortable. However I made bigger contributions. There   
   is a place for people    
   like them, and there is a place for people like me.   
      
   One thing that does happen when cultures mix is both of them scrutinizing one   
   another. On all sides, we see such sentiments as “is nothing sacred any   
   more”? If they mean immune from scrutiny, then no, nothing is and nothing   
   should be. There are no    
   sacred cows, not even the Jews. If someone has a legitimate criticism of the   
   Jews – as opposed to a ridiculous one – I will listen to it. This process   
   works for the betterment of everyone. They are alerted of the wrong things in   
   their behavior, and    
   they can improve.   
      
   This is why I have absolutely no use for political correctness. Political   
   correctness does not teach everyone to be tolerant; it teaches everyone to be   
   insincere. If someone thinks that the Jews are evil, I would rather hear that   
   than have them pretend    
   to be nice to me while actually wanting to kill me. That way I know what I am   
   dealing with, and I can find workable ways to deal with it. I believe that the   
   rest of the population – Jews or anyone else under the sun – deserves the   
   same actual respect.   
      
   Being Jewish, I do not need political correctness to defend me. I can do so   
   myself, and so can any number of others, black, Jewish, Native American, what   
   have you. If someone bears ill will toward Jews, or Russians, or immigrants, I   
   would rather hear    
   that. Then I know what I am dealing with. And this makes it possible for me to   
   find workable ways to deal with it, including correcting their errors. Which   
   of course I have been doing – extensively – with all sides in the debate.   
      
   I believe that it is high time for that actual honesty. Let people express   
   their actual thoughts and feelings. Then they will be able to understand one   
   another enough to create actual solutions. Do not impose a false solution upon   
   the population. Trust    
   the population enough to allow it to create real ones.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)