Submitted by John Spencer Yantiss, Jan 16, 2008 15:58

The experiences from his childhood that Mr. Halkin describes, though peculiarly Jewish, in the focus of the ridicule and hatred, were really no different in individual instance than Irish-Americans being barred and ejected from restaurants and other public services and facilities, and characterised as monkeys and worse, less than a half century earlier. Likewise, Chinese-Americans suffered in the 19th century, and Japanese-Americans during and after World War II. Of course, such prejudice and the resulting persecution is not even remotely unique to America, or recent centuries. In fact, prejudice, hatred, persecution, including genocide, was fairly common worldwide until relatively modern times. In reality, it is still widespread today, tellingly, in many parts of the world, outside of the United States. The change in America, to which Mr. Halkin alludes, is a change not only of the immigrants coming to this country, but also of native-born Americans who have rejected the sense of what America was, and that for which it stood, that was its defining quality, at least until the middle 60s. I use the past tense, because all that has indeed changed. A growing number of native-born Americans no longer possess a pride in simply being American. Nor do they hold to the conviction that a democratic republic with a capitalistic form of commerce is the best type of government and society; many of them do not even realise that they do not; voting for and otherwise promoting measures that move the United States ever more closely toward socialism. In earlier times, Americans were passionate, even evangelical (disregarding liberal hysteria about the word) about "the American way." Obviously there have been gross inequities in our culture—as in ALL cultures, current and otherwise—but America offered the greatest opportunity for overcoming existent prejudice, with individuals from any walk of life, any ethnicity, any religion gaining access to virtually unlimited opportunities. The fact that many did not, and do not, persevere, and take advantage of those opportunities does not diminish them. Sadly, it is the native-born Americans who show the least fortitude in pursuing personal excellence. Now, with 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and more-generation Americans rejecting their own birthright and heritage, immigrants understandably feel less motivation to become fully American. Of course, there is one underlying difference still, for the Jew: the centuries-old and continuing pan-cultural anti-Semitism that has dogged them wherever they might be. That aside, the reason America's melting pot no longer melts as well as it did is because the fuel, the heat, of passion for America is disappearing from the hearts and minds of Americans. When a group of people, no matter the size, is "on fire" (to use another Christian fundamentalist, and therefore verboten, term), utterly committed, possesses an ardor for its own ways and identity, it is catching, attractive to others; those outside that group want to join it, literally become a part of it, not merely benefit from its output, or lifestyle, as outsiders.

People from other nations and cultures no longer wish to become "American," because a large number of Americans no longer wish to BE American, in the truest sense of the word. All one has to do is read and listen to the bulk of mainstream media, news and entertainment alike, to get the message that Americans do not like America. For most of "middle America," to wit, "the silent majority," that is utterly false. Nonetheless, that is the message.

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