This is a comment on an article titled “Multiculturalism and pluralism: Failed fad?” (the Post, Dec. 6, p. 6)

Multiculturalism is a beautiful thing. In America (which is far from perfect but has the right idea), each culture is promoted. I love going to New Orleans and seeing the Creole culture there, or going to China Town in NYC and seeing the Chinese-American culture there.

The manners and food of people in the Deep South are very unique too. At convention centers in big cities all over the US, people will have a week of cultural heritage festivals where they can go and see songs and dances and eat food from the immigrants in the country.

They are incredible events! African-American churches are incredible experiences, I have been to a mosque once, and Voodoo is alive and well in NYC. The reason that this stuff is celebrated is that Americans do not (usually) focus on what is different about people.

They focus on what is the same. We are Americans. Everything else is second, but still important. We are from various ethnicities, various countries, various religions, various walks of life, but we are all Americans. We do not let men come into our court system to scream about what the Holy Book says is correct punishment like you see in “some” countries.

We have separation of church and state, which is better than the “law” of any religion. We promote education in our schools instead of religion. We promote tolerance and equality instead of superiority and divisiveness.

When it is done correctly, it works great. One problem with “immigration” in Europe is that there has not been assimilation. Some immigrant communities are going there and demanding religious courts over common law, and many are settling into ghettos.

In America, the immigrants are going there, fighting and denouncing religious extremism and valuing a good education that makes them successful in life.

It is no big deal at all for Muslims to go to the bar and have a beer with everyone else. Is it because the American immigrants are degenerates?

No! It is because they realize that freedom of choice includes interpretation of religion, and they learn how to value life as a citizen of a country, instead of life as a slave to a religion.

Multiculturalism is what makes a country like America grow, or lack of multiculturalism is what makes countries start to implode because of hatred, politics and religions (all the same thing in my opinion) trying to take over national identity.

Rain
Balikpapan

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