As such, the Act is a manifestation of the underlying racial attitudes still very prevalent in the United States today. Indeed, it once again uncovers what has become invisible in these attitudes: that Americans who believe themselves to be open-minded are willing to give up every basic American principle of equality for the sake of a scape-goat. So, under the Patriot Act, many law-abiding Arabian and Muslim Americans have been targeted, slandered and assumed to harbor terrorist intentions against their country. The Patriot Act, along with the newer Patriot Act II, has therefore been the target of much critical attention. However, the majority of Americans appear to see it as the answer to the problem of terrorism, regardless of its part in exacerbating the already dangerous levels of hysterical racism in the country. In this way the Act highlights already existing problems, instead of solving any incoming terrorism.
As seen above, racism, whether visible or less so, is a problem in American society. The proponents of English as the country's official language feel that the problem is one of communication, and that a single language would act as a unifying force for the country (Toonkel, 2006). These persons see the properties of language and communication as a single entity. This, I believe, is an understandable but fundamentally tragic mistake. Changing the language and words people use to communicate will change nothing. This is because language is not at the root of the cultural divide in the country. The problem is one of deep-seated communication and understanding.
Furthermore, Rowe (2006) suggests that legislation to this effect could be problematic for a variety of reasons. The most important reason is that certain languages, such as Chinese or Spanish, dominate in certain areas of the country. This is fundamental not only to
Multiculturalism The United States is a multicultural nation. Even before the Europeans landed on American shores, the continent was multicultural, as Native Americans are comprised of hundreds of different linguistic and tribal groups. The European settlers in turn came from various European nations: the earliest settlers came from Great Britain and France, and later from Germany and the Netherlands. The international slave trade ushered in several more African ethnic groups, albeit
United States of America has a long driven history where two political parties ruled the territory and its people since it assumed independence. Several presidents with different political and moral beliefs/views have come into power, which largely influenced the policies and strategies that they employed to run the country. Liberalism is one of the prime political beliefs found in America's political system that promotes freedom. On the other hand,
The American and French Revolutions occurred within decades of each other, influenced by similar changes taking place in European society. Concepts of freedom and liberty therefore evolved concurrently within these two societies, in part due to the vibrant interchange of ideas and philosophies. French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville epitomized the bilateral ideological communications that flowed between France and the United States. In a general sense, French and American concepts of
CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS: IMMIGRATION POLICY IN FRANCE AND THE U.S. Cross-Cultural Analysis between Immigration Policy in France and the United States The movement of people for one country to another is guided by immigration policies. The policies often vary from one country to the other depending on their history. They also vary periodically depending on the dynamics of security, resource availability, and the threat the immigrants pose to the native citizens. In the
Cultural diversity is desirable because it will make the U.S. become the most tolerant, diverse, and open society around the world. As such, the phenomenon should be encouraged because the world has become a global village with global citizens. A desire to accept change, engage in new ways of thinking, and learn from diverse cultures has led to this global village. Nowadays, much of this sense is entailed in the
Playwright Israel Zangwill Is United States of America in the second decade of 21st century a melting pot -- the kind of melting pot that was envisaged by Israel Zangwill close to 104 years ago? The answer is an overwhelming no. Today more than ever there is no one idea of Americanness or American culture that is acceptable across the board. Most of this is attributable to the differences in the
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