The year is 1907, a little over one hundred years ago.
Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.
'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'
Theodore Roosevelt 1907
As I've said before, the Truth is always the Truth! Now, my friend, let's get some fresh coffee and sit on the patio for a while, OK?
22 comments:
I really dislike coming across as the annoying and opinionated "know-it-all" (probably why I'm pretty quiet at parties), but this quote has been making the rounds of the interwebz lately and I got curious...yes, Mr. Roosevelt said it--but in a letter to the American Defense Society in 1919...two days before he died.
And the word "assimilate" when applied to humans sort of gives me the creeps and sends that shiver down my spine. Respectfully to you, Jim, but I don't see this as Truth...especially when it came from the same man who made it a personal mission to "assimilate" Native Americans, called them less than human and outlawed their use of their own language.
OK Dori, you have some points there, But these Illegals are making a mess of our beautiful country as they scurry across our borders and braking our laws. They have no respect for this country and are handed every thing that is free while our own Citizens are being cut from medical care and food stamps in this time of economic bad times. Mexican Americans can't even stand them. At one time they did come here to work and have a better life, now they are here to steal, sell drugs and start gangs. They invade homes and kill people for what they can take from their homes. They are ILLEGALY IN THIS COUNTRY!
And what was done to the Indians was horrible. And due to ignorance of other cultral beliefs.
Now lets have some coffee and sit on the patio and try to have a better day.
JoJo
Oh, I totally agree with the illegal immigrants part...same rights as legal citizens? That sends shivers down my spine too!
I always considered myself a Native American, having been born here...not an Indigenous Tribal Person, but a native nonetheless (anthropologist grandparents are fun!).
Don't hold much truck with hyphenated-Americans. We either are, or we are not. Categorizing opens the door for divisiveness, separation, antagonism. Us against Them. Not very useful.
Just about everyone in the country was an immigrant at one time or another...something worth remembering, I think.
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
Well Jim - it seems there is a little controversy here in the comment section. I am an American without any hyphens. I proudly fly my stars and stripes, get goosebumps when I hear the national anthem, and hold my hand over my heart when the flag passes in a parade. I am proud of my country and all she stands for, even though her reputation is a little tarnished right now. I am willing to share my country with any legal immigrant willing to pledge allegiance to this country TOTALLY and COMPLETELY.
1 Afghanistan
2 Akrotiri
3 Albania
4 Algeria
5 American Samoa
6 Andorra
7 Angola
8 Anguilla
9 Antarctica
10 Antigua and Barbuda
11 Argentina
12 Armenia
13 Aruba
14 Ashmore and Cartier Islands
15 Australia
16 Austria
17 Azerbaijan
18 Bahamas, The
19 Bahrain
20 Bangladesh
21 Barbados
22 Bassas da India
23 Belarus
24 Belgium
25 Belize
26 Benin
27 Bermuda
28 Bhutan
29 Bolivia
30 Bosnia and Herzegovina
31 Botswana
32 Bouvet Island
33 Brazil
34 British Indian Ocean Territory
35 British Virgin Islands
36 Brunei
37 Bulgaria
38 Burkina Faso
39 Burma
40 Burundi
41 Cambodia
42 Cameroon
43 Canada
44 Cape Verde
45 Cayman Islands
46 Central African Republic
47 Chad
48 Chile
49 China
50 Christmas Island
51 Clipperton Island
52 Cocos (Keeling) Islands
53 Colombia
54 Comoros
55 Democratic Republic of the Congo
56 Republic of the Congo (yes, these are two different countries)
57 Cook Islands
58 Coral Sea Islands
59 Costa Rica
60 Cote d'Ivoire
61 Croatia
62 Cuba
63 Cyprus
64 Czech Republic
65 Denmark
66 Dhekelia
67 Djibouti
68 Dominica
69 Dominican Republic
70 Ecuador
71 Egypt
72 El Salvador
73 Equatorial Guinea
74 Eritrea
75 Estonia
76 Ethiopia
77 Europa Island
78 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
79 Faroe Islands
80 Fiji
81 Finland
82 France
83 French Guiana
84 French Polynesia
85 French Southern and Antarctic Lands
86 Gabon
87 Gambia, The
88 Gaza Strip
89 Georgia
90 Germany
91 Ghana
92 Gibraltar
93 Glorioso Islands
94 Greece
95 Greenland
96 Grenada
97 Guadeloupe
98 Guam
99 Guatemala
100 Guernsey
101 Guinea
102 Guinea-Bissau
103 Guyana
104 Haiti
105 Heard Island and McDonald Islands
106 Holy See (Vatican City)
107 Honduras
108 Hong Kong
109 Hungary
110 Iceland
111 India
112 Indonesia
113 Iran
114 Iraq
115 Ireland
116 Isle of Man
117 Israel
118 Italy
119 Jamaica
120 Jan Mayen
121 Japan
122 Jersey
123 Jordan
124 Juan de Nova Island
125 Kazakhstan
126 Kenya
127 Kiribati
128 Korea, North
129 Korea, South
130 Kuwait
131 Kyrgyzstan
132 Laos
133 Latvia
134 Lebanon
135 Lesotho
136 Liberia
137 Libya
138 Liechtenstein
139 Lithuania
140 Luxembourg
141 Macau
142 Macedonia
143 Madagascar
144 Malawi
145 Malaysia
146 Maldives
147 Mali
148 Malta
149 Marshall Islands
150 Martinique
151 Mauritania
152 Mauritius
153 Mayotte
154 Mexico
155 Micronesia, Federated States of
156 Moldova
157 Monaco
158 Mongolia
159 Montserrat
160 Morocco
161 Mozambique
162 Namibia
163 Nauru
164 Navassa Island
165 Nepal
166 Netherlands
167 Netherlands Antilles
168 New Caledonia
169 New Zealand
170 Nicaragua
171 Niger
172 Nigeria
173 Niue
174 Norfolk Island
175 Northern Mariana Islands
176 Norway
177 Oman
178 Pakistan
179 Palau
180 Panama
181 Papua New Guinea
182 Paracel Islands
183 Paraguay
184 Peru
185 Philippines
186 Pitcairn Islands
187 Poland
188 Portugal
189 Puerto Rico
190 Qatar
191 Reunion
192 Romania
193 Russia
194 Rwanda
195 Saint Helena
196 Saint Kitts and Nevis
197 Saint Lucia
198 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
199 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
200 Samoa
201 San Marino
202 Sao Tome and Principe
203 Saudi Arabia
204 Senegal
205 Serbia and Montenegro
206 Seychelles
207 Sierra Leone
208 Singapore
209 Slovakia
210 Slovenia
211 Solomon Islands
212 Somalia
213 South Africa
214 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
215 Spain
216 Spratly Islands
217 Sri Lanka
218 Sudan
219 Suriname
220 Svalbard
221 Swaziland
222 Sweden
223 Switzerland
224 Syria
225 Taiwan
226 Tajikistan
227 Tanzania
228 Thailand
229 Timor-Leste
230 Togo
231 Tokelau
232 Tonga
233 Trinidad and Tobago
234 Tromelin Island
235 Tunisia
236 Turkey
237 Turkmenistan
238 Turks and Caicos Islands
239 Tuvalu
240 Uganda
241 Ukraine
242 United Arab Emirates
243 United Kingdom
244 Uruguay
245 Uzbekistan
246 Vanuatu
247 Venezuela
248 Vietnam
249 Virgin Islands
250 Wake Island
251 Wallis and Futuna
252 West Bank
253 Western Sahara
254 Yemen
255 Zambia
256 Zimbabwe
257 The United States Of America.
If you don't like our language, our culture, our laws, and our way of
life, pick one of the other 256 nations around the world. May I suggest a couple of garden spots like Zimbabwe or Somalia? Don't let the door hit you in the ass as you board that plane.
Sure, this country has made some miss steps (usually while churlish, egotistical, myopic,insolent people like our current president have been at the helm) but the American people,in general, have not been the culprits.
Who else sends aid to the victims of natural disasters who are citizens of nations we are at odds with?
We, as a people, have worked diligently to undo the errors wrought by those who preceded us.
Hey Dori...
Very good points you make here. I, for one, can see where the use of certain words back then could, under the political climate today, be misunderstood.
When I read this speech, the thought I took from it was that we should all strive to become a complete unit. The people of the United States are what lends the strength to our country. The effort of any group, political or otherwise, to divide that unity by any means is not a good thing to me.
While I would not give the same speech today worded in the same manner, I do believe this. The people of the United States are the backbone of our country...not the government, not a group, but the people themselves.
We are all Americans regardless of race, creed, color, religious convictions, or birth place. Our flag is, or should be, the American flag and our loyalty is or should be, to the Constitution and to our fellow Americans.
Our past is full of errors made by our politicans. They worked under a totally different set of standards than we have today. Some of what they did and said may have been wrong, but I feel that the underlying message that Roosevelt was putting forth was and is as true today as ever. We should always be strong as a people and our loyalty MUST be to the Constitution and to the country...
Sorry if I offended anyone, that was not my intention. I never would deliberitely do that. I am only putting forth the same thoughts I hold as I always did.
Thaks so much for dropping by, and for the comments. I hope that you could understand the ramblings and do hope you will continue to visit. Peaceful discussion is what we are all about, right?
Hey JoJo...
The operative word here is "legally". We are a nation of laws. Those laws should be followed by everyone, unless they contradict the Constitution and the ammendments of the constitution. Whether a person is an "illegal" or just a criminal, they should all be punished equally...and that DOES include the politicians!
Thanks for coming by, JoJo, as I'm always looking forward to your visits and chats on the patio.
Hey Kyddryn...
You are so right! I bet that was interesting, to have antropologist grandparents. Think of how much you must have learned from them.
I did not intend to make light of any injustice of the past. I think we must learn from our history in order to improve our future.
This nation is, indeed, a nation of immigrants bound together by one idea and one dream. That dream is freedom! The right to live as free men without the illegal interferrence from any and all persons or groups!
Sorry, I seem to be getting long winded today! Let me just say this...in my humble opinion, our main focus today should be forward to our future. We should do anything and everything in our power to ensure that future be free...
Thanks so much, my friend, for taking the ime to come by. I do appreciate the visit and the comments!
Hey Rae...
Glad to see you today! I am certainly proud to have all my readers voice their opinions and I know that we all have the same goals in mind. Freedom from any form of tyranny, freedom to live as we chose, freedom to worship as we please, and freedom to publically voice our opinion about anything, even if it hurts the feelings of some of the folks in political office.
I say "God Bless All Americams, God bless the United States, and God bless America!"
Hey Catman...
I'm glad to have you take time to drop by today! A good point you made was in that we, as a people, have made it a priority to undo past wrongs. That will be an ongoing struggle, as our nation will always be a work in progress!
Our true strength will always be in our unity towards a single goal...Freedom for all men!
Thanks for the visit, Catman!
Never offended! Though, apparently, my comment did offend and I'm sorry about that. I've lived the majority of my life in 3rd world countries witnessing the negative effects of colonialism and forced assimilation. I'm also married to an indigenous American and what we may perceive as mistakes of the past are still very much taking their toll on those members of this country. However,this is still a great nation. And one of the things that has made it great is the fact that it is truly a nation of immigrants. Immigrants who have maintained a portion of their original culture.
If I promise to play nice from now on can I stick around? You have the best coffee on the internet!
Hey Dori...
It would indeed be an honor to have you continue to visit! I don't want you to ever feel that yopu can't say what you think here. That's one reason I don't moderate any comments. I also don't want you to think that I condon in any fashion, the actions of folks in the past!
My feelings are that even though I can never right the wrongs of the past, I will never activly participate in doing wrong to others today! I will always feel a bit of shame for the crimes commited against any indigenous people in the name of the U.S., both here and abroad.
I'm glad you weren't offended, as I would never put anythiong here that I thought was hurtful to anyone (except maybe the politicans)
Thanks for the visit and keep on coming back for coffee on the patio with your friends...OK?
Dammit Jim! Yu just had to do it, dintya? Yu had to go and open them flood gates! I just wanted another cuppa coffee.......
Hey Carol...
I knew you would be coming by, so I made another pot! Wanted to make sure that I had enough for ya...see how nice I am?
Thanks, friend, for dropping by! Pull up a chair...
Oh goood, I mean muchos gracious or which button do I press to speak English? slurp......
Hey Carol...
You crack me up, girl! Only one button, I'm afraid!
I certainly agree with that quote.
My family and I moved to the USA a very long time ago. None one of us spoke a word of English but made it our business to do so as quickly as possible. We had our visas and our green card (which is/was blue)and waited 7 years to get our citizenship papers. We each proudly took the test and oath given to us on that long awaited day. Our 5 family members celebrated that night and the USA became our country from that day forward. No one handed anything to any of us on a silver platter and no one translated anything for any of us. We knew we had to learn to speak English in order to live here, and we did.
We are not unusual, there were many others before us and many others after us in the same situations.
Most of us were here legally looking for permanent residence in a beautiful FREE country.
The difference now is the sheer number of illegal immigrants, freely allowed to enter this country and freely allowed to receive all of its benefits.
For the most part, I don't fault the immigrants. I fault our country (us!) for allowing this to happen. Most people will take advantage if given the opportunity.
We are the ones who allow them to to trash our country, make it easy for them to never have to learn the English language and allow them to take advantage of us. We, the hard working Americans who pay dearly for their benefits.
Apologies for this being so long..just happens to be a sore spot.
Good post Jim.
Lydia
Hey Lydia...
My smiling friend, I am proud of you and your family and am glad you chose to come here to the U.S.A....we are honored to have you as a fellow citizen and a friend!
Your story and the stories of so many families like yours are the reason that we are as strong as we are today. The like minded, hard working, law abiding people such as you and your family have helped to forge this countries people into a nation of strong individuals, who will never let ourselves be controled.
I'm proud of your family, proud of you and proud to have you as a personal friend!
Thank you so much for coming by and sharing your story with all here!
Thanks so much for your kind words Jim, you brought tears to my eyes and a big smile to my face.
:)
Lydia
I second thatg Lydia, Your Family did it right like my grandparents.
God bless you all.
JoJo
Hermit, absolute heresy! How DARE you demand people abide by the law??!!! How DARE you expect folks assimilate into American culture??!!! The re-education police will be visiting you shortly.......
Hey Mayberry...
I know, I know...I'm just a baaaaaad boy!
I'll try and do better, OK? OK!
Hey, thanks for dropping in today, buddy!
Hey Hermit, I'm grindin up a mess of extra dark roast coffee beans, gonna sprinkle a bit of espresso on top like usual, brew it strong, then drink 'er down smoothed out with just a touch of heavy cream. Whilst waitin for it, I'm here to tell you I enjoy reading your blog, as I enjoy reading all clear-thinkin patriots of good will with a little fire (and the noble brew) in their bellies.
Ol' Remus
Hey Remus...
I sure am glad you could take the time to come by and visit for a bit. Any and all coffee lover's and flag waver's are always welcome here.
I enjoy reaing your reports a lot, and like the way you present the information for us.
Again, many thanks for stopping in and we all hope to see you again, Coffe's on me!
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