GG - Britain, much like Canada is a multicultural country, as compared to the USA which would be a melting pot of cultures.
Because of this, citizens are able to acccept 'cultural' differences and make it acceptable to immigrate, but the line between good and evil is a fine one and Canada too has stepped back and forth across it, just as teh US has with the melting pot system.
[b]PROS:[/b]
[u]Multicultural:[/u] accepts immigration AND the immigrants choice of culture. This has its pros too, it enables children to grow up understanding the cultural differences between races and become more accepting of those differences.
[u]Melting POt:[/u]accepts immigration but NOT the immigrants culture or religion. Immigrants are expected to assimilate and become a US citizen, speak US English and even absorb Western religion (of course Christianity would be preferred).
CONS:
[u]Mulitcultural:[/u]The fine line between acceptance is often crossed/abused. While we have laws pertaining to immigration acceptance, those same laws can be abused (of course, as can all laws)to push for more. Such as Boy Scouts changing their promise from 'God and queen..." to "MY god and Queen", East Indians in eth RCMP are not allowed to wear turbans, despite years of contest regarding official RCMP uniforms vs religious acceptance. Mind you, most Indian RCMP don't bother with the turban as tehy know how controversial it is, so they wear the correct uniform and don't push the line.
Your post is just another example of how this multicultural acceptance gets pushed a little too far.
[u]Meltingpot:[/u]The drawbacks to being a meltin pot is that you can't' claim to really be multicultural and accepting of difference if you expect assimilation. Alternate religions, languages and cultures are invited to become 'American' but retaining that culture, religion, language is frowned upon. How many times have we seen that displayed here alone? The drwback is that it builds a nation of people unwilling to accept difference, unwilling to adjust their ways to make it easier for someone else to live in the ocuntry. Unwilling to learn about a different culture. It is ALMOST (now I'll get flamed for this) a Nazi mindset where people are ALLOWED to live there but the 'pure US cutizens' ae considerd superior and simply allowing people to share their soace while they become American. It results in reduced cultural education, an ignorance towards difference, and an outward air that you can become a citizen of the US but YOU are not okay as is. Children don't learn to accept cultural difference etc.
When I was young, I had a friend who was Hindi, learned a bit of Hindi (very little) learned about Hindi cooking and religion. Another was Japanese so I learned about Japanese foods, Bhuddism, etc. When I wentr to teh US to stay with fellow Scouting groups, the troops were dominantly caucasian, the kids we stayed with only had caucasian friends etc.
I will nto suggest that this causes wars at all, but in teh same sense, it does not teach people to understand or try to understand cultural differences. We have seen countless people here who have obviously no understanding of the Middle East, cultures, religions etc. In Canada (and teh UK) it is easier to understand and accept as we are surrounded by the same culture and diversity which teaches us to learn and not repel cultural difference.
I can guarantee you one thing though, the UK compared to Canada is very different in that the UK is closer to being a melting pot than Canada is. In the UK I find many if not the majority of Indians are pretty well educated and well spoken, often with an English accnent, especially younger generations.
In Canada, an East Indian is an East Indian. they have a different way of consudcting business, which you learn to work with and accept. They have mosques and temples EVERYWHERE, which again we learn to accept.
But the whole government cowtowing to immigrants is just where that fine line gets tripped over all the time. One decision is seen as discrimination, the other can be seen as unjust changes to an existign society or culture.
Face it, the world's borders are dissolving fast. Computers unite and bring together so many countries as we find new ways to work together and benefit from each other. We simply must get used to accpeting these changes, sometimes even seeming wrong (they will change again in time anyway), but we are better off for it in teh long run. our children will be better off and perhas, just one day, not in mu lifetime, the world's cultures will acdcept and find benefit in differences, instead of fear. Hopefully we will have returned to our individual cultures as while we accept others, they must also accept teh fact that we need ot retain our OWN cultures too.
I say all this in complete hypocisy, while living in a land stolen from the origal inhabitants who were forced to change in order to accept OUR ways, just as is so in the USA too. Mind you, I LOVE North America's native Indian culture and really wish they got a better deal when we came aboard.
In a sense, we don't have any right to dictate what an immigrant does or doesn't do here, in fact we should just feel lucky that they immmigrate instead fo going to war everytime a new culture wants to take over North America. Why not, we did it?
Wow, lots of thoughts, sorry about that but it is a subject I take great interest in.
EDIT TO ADD EVEN MORE: I too have the feeling that if you WANT to come here because it is a better life, better government, better income, better opportunity etc. Then do so. But you can't expect us to change our LAWS to match what you had before. You LEAVE that behind, can't have the best of both worlds. I also see laws as being VERY different from cultural or religious issues. Indians are allowed to carry kirpans in Canada, thier children were crrying them to school at one time. (those long curly knives that they wear on a sash).
This is where it crosses the line, knives of that length are illegal in our country (as far as carrying one in public) ESPECIALY in a school. But they fight the ocurts because in India they are allowed to do so. THIS is where it goes too far, wear your turban, tell me why you war it and educate my son too. Tell him about your kirpan and religion, but DON'T carry a weapon to a school my child attends.
(okay he's all grown up now but still, he COULD have been attending that school) :) .
