An eight-year federal investigation into terrorist recruiting yielded what authorities say is one of its biggest breakthroughs Monday, when six Somali-Americans from Minnesota were charged with planning to leave the United States and fight alongside Islamic extremist groups.Why would someone do that? Listen to the voice:
Two of the six were arrested by the FBI on Sunday in San Diego, where they intended to pick up passports and then cross into Mexico to board a flight to the Middle East, federal authorities said.
The other four were arrested Sunday by FBI agents at various locations across the Twin Cities.
One of the men, in a conversation recorded by an FBI source, describes his disgust with living in the United States. “The American identity is dead. Even if I get caught, whatever, I’m through with America. Burn my ID,” he said, according to a transcript filed with the case.What does that statement mean, coming from someone who has not yet reached his 22nd birthday? Most young people feel a sense of alienation from the larger society, but for the majority it comes in a way that does not lead to peril. Most of the young Somalis who live in Minnesota aren't particularly different that way, but it only takes a handful to cause trouble.
We have a number of large immigrant groups in the Twin Cities. We have the Somalis. We have a number of people from Liberia and other countries in the western part of Africa. And we have a substantial population of Hmong families who arrived in America in the wake of the Vietnam War. There are others as well. For the most part, we all get along well because the immigrants who come here have similar aspirations to those my ancestors had when they escaped from Bavaria and County Cork. We don't have to agree on all the particulars of the American identity, but we do need to recognize its importance.
6 comments:
look at what they are teaching in school.
it's not the same as it was in the 70s with us, or the 80's/90s with the more recents.
maybe this muti culturalism shit from the 60s is bearing its fruit?
maybe this muti culturalism shit from the 60s is bearing its fruit?
That's how I'd interpret it.
One might suggest that we ought to make sure that those coming here know that waging war against our government is reason for revoking a visa or even citizenship. That's the clear implication of the line on my great uncle's citizenship form, noting that allegiance was transferred from Kaiser Franz Josef to the USA.
Thats not point though, bubba. The question is, why dont they feel like they belong here, or feel dissed and unwanted. Much of the blame for this comes from the left as well as the right.
I've had my blood drawn by a Somali phlebotomist, and the reason he mentioned was simply that Somalia is home. Minnesota ain't exactly the same, to put it mildly.
Always going to be a problem with refugees, and I think the problem gets worse with that multiculturalism thing and a lack of expectations. My great uncle, again, and I presume your ancestors about as far back, more or less were told something like:
"Hey, your religion, clothes, and food are OK, but if you decide to bring crime, rebellion, or disease in, we will be showing you the door or worse."
Make some shared expectations, people will start fitting in and belonging.
Why should they be loyal to ideals we have abandoned?
W.B.
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