My German Grandmother didn't come to the U.S. with my Irish immigrant American soldier father and my infant mother in the late 40's to escape overcrowding. Did my formerly Soviet friends come to escape overcrowding? Ahiyikue wasn't working on his citizenship because Gabon was overcrowded...it was because -- despite the fact his diplomat father insisted he spend summers in Africa -- he had brains and skills (chemistry degree) and wanted to be part of the greatest country in the world. My ex-girlfriend "Kelly" Yu-Jong Han's family left South Korea because they put bankrupt businessmen in prison there.
To the rest of you: Your only problem is that when I barbequed with my patriotic Russian-speaking Ukrainian-American friends this Fourth of July, I ate dried fish, pickled mushrooms and peppers, caviar mixed with cream cheese, and some weird kind of wiessewurst (natural casing white-hots.)
Olga told stories about fixing helicopters for five years in the Marines. Her older cousin told stories about the horrible things he saw during compulsory military service in a Russian prison. (He received a computer programming degree this Spring -- in his late thirties.)
Ahiyikue?
Olga?
Yu-Jong Han?
Kelly?
wiessewurst? (tanks for explainig that one to us)
LOL.
We are so impressed with your rainbow of acquaintances--surely, your life must be a shining example of someone who basks in the sunshine of diversity by having so many wonderful friends from all corners of the earth.
Please, oh please, make up--I mean--gush--I mean--tell us some more tales--err--stories of your wonderful melting pot of friends and their fascinating foods and quaint activities.
They are so convincingly true!
"We are so impressed with your rainbow of acquaintances--surely, your life must be a shining example of someone who basks in the sunshine of diversity by having so many wonderful friends from all corners of the earth.
Please, oh please, make up--I mean--gush--I mean--tell us some more tales--err--stories of your wonderful melting pot of friends and their fascinating foods and quaint activities.
They are so convincingly true!"
Well, wiessewurst was the only thing I recognized.
Try going to college, Mr. Reason. You might meet people with new and diverse things to add to our country. Maybe instead of bemoaning low teen birthrates, you should be bemoaning low male graduation rates.
Also, it's worth noting that of the people I have mentioned on this thread, I am the only one who was on financial aid.
Maybe you're right. Maybe we would have done better without those dirty immigrants like Kissinger.
Hey, I'm not talking about letting anyone or everyone join our great nation. I just object to the idea that the lowering of the teenage birthrate is a problem. What are you, some kind of dirty Catholic? (Half Irish, half Catholic Bavarian myself, so don't get insulted. Try reading John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath." These are the people who made us strong. Just like the Mexicans now.)
Maybe the "Not me not now" abstinence campaign that started in my city and spread through the country is taking effect. Maybe the cautions against the disease foolish bigots like you think only happens to homosexual men have had an effect. Wanna be just like Africa, which despite ridiculously high birthrates, can expect a 15-30% decline in population in the next 10-15 years? We can do that -- tell your little girl she should have babies before she is fully adult and able to make sensible decisions about what that boy wants to do to her.
My main problem with this whole thread is: So teenage girls are having less babies? Excellent. When your fifteen-year-old daughter gets pregnant, you'll feel very differently about this issue. When we look like China with their compulsory abortions, you'll feel like a fool. We don't have to worry about low teen birthrates. We should celebrate it.
(PS -- it is true there was a factual inaccuracy there. (Typo.) It was my *Grandfather* who was an Irish immigrant. My father was of Danish descent. Those darn pastry eaters! They ruined our culture!)
-- Woo Way