Sometimes, the frequent calls for unity among presidential candidates can come to feel like a craven desire to have everyone unite behind them in particular, and stop asking challenging questions. True progressives have a different vision for America, a vision of peaceful diversity in which people have significant differences of opinion, but agree to disagree peacefully.
It seems that Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo ascribes to neither a call for unity nor to a vision of peaceful diversity. If Tom Tancredo really means what he says, he is calling for civil war for the sake of cultural purity.
At the Iowa straw poll this weekend, Tom Tancredo told his audience, “This is our culture. Fight for it!”
Does Tom Tancredo really want Americans to fight each other over culture?
History is clear. When one cultural group starts a fight in the name of its culture, people of other cultural groups are in danger.
Whose culture does Tom Tancredo refer to when he speaks of “our culture”? It isn’t the culture of Hispanics, not even those who belong to families that have been here in the United States for generations, and remain proud of their Spanish-speaking heritage. It isn’t the culture of African-Americans. It isn’t the culture of the LGBT community. It isn’t any of the cultures of non-Christians. It isn’t the progressive culture of liberty and openness.
Tancredo isn’t just calling for a struggle, either. He’s calling for a fight. When Tom Tancredo urges his audience to fight for their culture, he’s telling them that English-speaking, straight, white Christians ought to fight against everyone else in America. Tom Tancredo is calling for a purge, a cultural cleansing of America to remake it in his vision of cultural purity.
That nationalist call for cultural purity ought to sound familiar. It’s just the sort of thing that Adolph Hitler told the Germans to do – to fight for their culture. The Germans obeyed.
Americans should not obey the call made by Tom Tancredo for a civil war in the name of his elite culture.
(Source: Iowa City Gazette, August 11, 2007)
Does anyone really believe the crap written above? Let’s see a show of hands: after *doing your research*, do you honestly think the author is telling you the truth?
Sounds right to me, actually. Tom Tancredo is a wacko who attends white supremacist meetings.
When the Danish started to limit immigration from Muslim countries you did not get this kind of over reaction. The facts are that an openly pro gay country can not allow anti-gay violent Muslims to change the rules.Remember the assasinations of some gay politicians by Muslims.
France just elected an anti immigration president. His views are that if you move to France,you learn some french.
Tancredo just likes western civilization. Is that so wrong?
Unless you really believe that the culture is better in Mexico.70% of Mexicans plan to move here to the US.
Corruption culture and a super rich white elite are what they are running from..
Hey Alexander – if they’re running FROM corruption and a super rich elite, the Mexicans are running in the wrong direction! Who do you think controls the US? Super-rich white elite folks like the Bush crime family.
Western civilization, Alexander? Is Mexico not part of Western civilization?
With your message, you confirm what this article suggests – that support from Tom Tancredo comes mostly from white Christian nationalists.
Oh come on guys?!
Mexico has its own culture and history. And most Mexicans
are proud of their culture and history. But you guys are
not fans of western civilization?
Toms comment above implies that there is more corruption in the US than in Mexico.?? He needs to ask any Mexican off the street and they
will tell him Mexico is more corrupt.You do not know that?
Horatio makes a wrong assumption if he believe that there are not any Mexicans that want to control the border.
You just need to look at how Mexico handles the illegals
on their southern border.