Rant on Culture...sort of

I dislike ignorance. With a passion I detest those who believe they know everything. Today I lost it in a class an unloaded on a kid and I thought I would just post up what I said. Typical Texas conservative high school student says that illegal immigrants steal our jobs and even legal immigrants steal his potential future jobs. He quotes Emma Lazarus and says that this land is the land of opportunity not the land of exploitation. My response was slighty more offensive but my basic argument was as follows: How does the immigrant take your job? The high school student sitting in an AP class trying to get into a good college were you going to be diggign ditches for minimum wage? No. American culture has become so scared of the other that we impose irrational scenarios for interaction with them. If we let non Americans come here the American people will be the minority they will steal our jobs. Were those jobs meant for the average american? No. Our economic system has created a sess pool of manual labor jobs designed to funnel the immigrant into certain conditions. Thats why they dont take your job, because our culture has become so embedded with fear that we force them into certain jobs regardless of their experience.

A similar situation just occured when discussing the situation of Iran's nuclear capabilities. People guide their decisions in our American culture based on fear and an attempt to stay safe. Our economics, politics, and social interactions are funneled through our emotions of fear. I think Michael Moore jokinly describes our culture well in this video .

That little bit was jsut blowing off some steam but also sets up the problem I have with American culture...we lack culture. Some people always say "we are the melting pot" I think we are a different kind of melting pot where the people who come here literally get lost in the miz and are forced to assimilate to suceed in this country. Our country has forced itself towards progress at all costs that is has forgen an attempt to connect to the people who come to this land. Besides the 4th of July and obesity America has no great defining point of its culture. Sure I guess that amkes it unique but our coutnry has robbed people of their values. The immigrants who come to our country today are no longer welcomed, but were they ever welcomed? Do we truly live in the land of opportunity? I think this post is just ranting right now but I am open to criticism and discussion. I want to end with a little quote, the quote that is supposed to describe how America treats those who are not the affluent white man, sadly this quote has been forgotten by our "Culture"

"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-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door"