"Instead of stinging nettle, myrtle will rise" (Isaiah 55:13)
 "Instead of evil, good will rise." (The Malbim's Interpretation)
Myrtle Rising
  • Blog
  • Comments Disabled
    • Privacy Policy
  • Aliyah
    • Mini-Intro
    • General Cultural Insights
    • School Tips
  • Kli Yakar Index
  • Most Popular
  • Contact

Why Attitude toward Culture Matters

14/4/2019

0 Comments

 
​When one of my sons was in yeshivah katanah (yeshivah for the high school years), he made friends with the non-Jewish Ethiopian janitor.
 
The janitor really liked my son because the janitor knew some English and my son was one of the only people in the yeshivah who could speak English, so finally the janitor had someone with whom he could communicate more easily.
 
The non-Jewish Ethiopian janitor nicknamed my son “the professor” for his English skills.
 
Once, the Ethiopian janitor expressed bemusement at Israel’s restraint with its enemies.
 
“I served in the Ethiopian army,” he said. “And when anyone antagonized our leaders, we were ordered to go in and gun everyone down.”
 
“Everyone,” he explained, meant “teach-a-lesson” massacres.
 
Without a drop of conscience, Ethiopian soldiers stormed huts and gunned down entire families — including children.
 
Why? Because these families were associated with some kind of enemy, who needed to be taught a lesson. After not only witnessing but actively participating in such brutality, he found Israel’s concern over not harming too many Jew-haters both bemusing and amusing.
 
While my son “the professor” was surprised at the janitor’s casual attitude toward mass murder, the truth is that there have been books and reports on this kind of thing for a long time.

Unfortunately, both criminal gangs (like those who kidnap, dismember, or kill albinos for their mythological healing properties) and state military in Africa commit horrific crimes against humanity without a second thought.

American servicemen shooting from helicopters have felt frustrated and appalled by the throngs of African women with a baby in their arms, milling around the battle zone as entertainment. 

And this is very normal in that part of the world.

Culture: Rejecting the Bad while Retaining the Good

​Needless to say, this doesn’t include all Africans.
 
As a positive example, an American Thinker article entitled What I Learned in the Peace Corps in Africa: Trump is Right lauds forward-thinking Nigerians who strove to improve their country (but who ultimately could not break through certain cultural practices than obstruct effectiveness in both business and government).
 
It goes without saying that those forward-thinking pro-active Nigerian innovators should be welcomed into America. Those are the kinds of immigrants who contribute to the progress and success of their adopted country.

And indeed some of these African immigrants or their children have earned awards for their achievements in their adopted country.
 
Yet those whose continue to embrace cultural practices and values that hurt society should NOT be welcomed.
 
Please note that I did NOT say that immigrants need to leave every last vestige of their culture at the door.
 
There are positive aspects in every culture.

However, if a culture’s values and practices prevent ethical government, productive businesses, and basic human rights (like the right to exist and not be murdered), and an immigrant REFUSES to reject those values and practices, then the adopted country will end up having a problem.

How to Create a Positive Association

​When I was a child, immigrants tended to be more patriotic, more appreciative, and harder-working than the average American. Despite the need to start from scratch and to prove themselves, along with all the cultural adjustments,  they knew they were in a better place and they knew they had better opportunities and they knew their sacrifice was making a better future for their own children.
 
That was the stereotype I had of immigrants. Pretty positive, right?
 
But it was positive because of the immigrants themselves, and not because of any brainwashing or shoving rose-colored glasses over my face to distort reality.

Why You Can't Ever Curb a Pereh Congresswoman

In Somalia, for example, the following are normal, unquestionable aspects of life:
  • A caste system exists (although not as defined and rigid as the one in India). People are divided by clans and loyalty to the clan determines everything.
 
  • Within some clans, people’s value is determined according to the color of their skin, with darker-skinned people being given more prestige in ceremonies.
 
  • Nearly all Somali girls are forced to endure FGM. This is the norm.
 
  • In general, murder and violence are common in Somalia. “Rehabilitation schools” carry out kidnappings and abuse.
 
In fact, Somalia is so dangerous that the State Travel Advisory suggests that a potential visitor to Somalia do the following:
  • Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.
  • Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
 
The presence and acceptability of such violence can easily influence and desensitize its inhabitants (and future immigrants).
 
Furthermore, a hatred of the West and its values exists in some parts of Somalia. This can also affect the attitudes of Somalis.
 
In addition, Somali culture is dominated by a religion that has been widely “misinterpreted” (ahem!) by millions of people around the world for several centuries, resulting in the persecution and death of countless victims.

What's more, this religion relegates non-members to a second-class dhimmi status of severely limited rights — by religious law and with the approval of God (or so their misunderstanding goes…) — but shows particular animosity against any kind of Jewish sovereignty, particularly in the Land that their own religion acknowledges as belonging to King David and the Jews.
 
So if someone comes from Somali culture to your society and is enthusiastic about rejecting racism (like dark-skinned people receiving more privileges than light-skinned people), tribalism, religious discrimination, misogyny, Jew-hatred, and the devaluation of human life…then great!
 
But if someone from Somali culture ISN'T enthusiastic about rejecting all that, then maybe you have a problem.
 
And if you decide to vote such a person into Congress, then you might have an even BIGGER problem.
 
Putting all the above together, we can see why a Muslim-Somali Congresswoman who has clearly NOT rejected the negative aspects of her culture of origin might disdain Jews, despise Israel, and dismiss the mass murder of 9/11 as “some people did something.”
 
Because for her, such attitudes are not only normal, they’re even laudable.

And all the denouncements in the world aren't going to change her because her values are deeply entrenched (and she receives global accolades from like-minded fans). Plus American publications run by bobble-heads feature her on their cover, despite her anti-American heinousness.

And quite frankly, critical tweets and editorials, plus lectures on the floor of Congress are peanuts in comparison to what she witnessed or experienced in her country of origin.

In other words, you can take her out of power or put her in prison, but you absolutely cannot stop her or change her mind or convince her to conform in any way. Ever.

She's fully indoctrinated against & therefore immune to such namby-pamby methods, something that even the Right doesn't seem to understand.
Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Privacy Policy

    Picture
    Please note this is an affiliate link. Meaning, I get a small cut but at NO extra cost to you. If you use it, I'm grateful. If not, you still get a giant mitzvah connected to Eretz Yisrael.


    Feedburner subscription no longer in operation. Sorry!

    Myrtle Rising

    I'm a middle-aged housewife and mother in Eretz Yisrael who likes to read and write a lot.


    Picture
    Sample Chapters

    Categories

    All
    Aliyah
    Anti Jewish Bigotry
    Anti-jewish-bigotry
    Astronomy
    Book Review
    Books
    Chagim/Holidays
    Chinuch
    Coronavirus
    Dictionaries
    Emuna
    Eretz Yisrael
    Erev Rav
    Gender
    Hitbodedut
    "If The Torah..."
    Jewish Astrology
    Kav Hayashar
    Kli Yakar
    Lashon Hara
    Love
    Me'am Loez
    Minchat Yehudah
    Mishlei/Proverbs
    Netivot Shalom
    Parenting
    Parsha
    Pele Yoetz
    Perek Shira
    Pesach
    Politics
    Prayer
    Purim
    Rav Avigdor Miller
    Rav Itamar Schwartz
    Rav L.Y. Bender
    Recipes
    "Regular" Jews
    Rosh Hashanah
    Society
    Sukkot
    Tammuz
    Technology
    Tehillim/Psalms
    Teshuvah
    The Lost Princess
    Tisha B'Av
    USA Scary Direction
    Women
    Yom Kippur

    Jewish Blogs

    Daf Yomi Review
    Derech Emet
    Going...Habayitah
    Halacha Q&A
    Hava haAharona
    Miriam Adahan
    My Perspective

    Shirat Devorah
    Tomer Devorah
    Toras Avigdor
    True Tzaddikim
    Tznius Blog

    Yeranen Yaakov
    Rabbi Ofer Erez (Hebrew lectures)

    Jewish Current Events

    Hamodia
    Sultan Knish
    Tomer Devorah
    Yeranen Yaakov

    Jewish Health

    People Smarts

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    RSS Feed

    Copyright Notice

    ©2015-2022 Myrtle Rising
    Excerpts and links may be used without express permission as long as a link is provided back to the appropriate Myrtle Rising page.

Home/Blog

Most Popular

Kli Yakar in English

Aliyah

Contact

Copyright © 2023
Photos used under Creative Commons from Brett Jordan, BAMCorp, Terrazzo, Abode of Chaos, Michele Dorsey Walfred, marklordphotography, M.Burak Erbaş, torbakhopper, jhritz, Rina Pitucci (Tilling 67), Svadilfari, kum111, Tim simpson1, FindYourSearch, Giorgio Galeotti, ChrisYunker, Jaykhuang, YourCastlesDecor, bluebirdsandteapots, Natalia Medd, Stefans02, Israel_photo_gallery, Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, BradPerkins, zeevveez, dfarrell07, h.koppdelaney, Edgardo W. Olivera, nafrenkel88, zeevveez, mtchlra, Liz | populational, TraumaAndDissociation, thinboyfatter, garofalo.christina, skpy, Free Grunge Textures - www.freestock.ca, Nerru, Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith, trendingtopics, dolbinator1000, DonkeyHotey, zeevveez, erix!, zeevveez, h.koppdelaney, MAURO CATEB, kevin dooley, keepitsurreal, annikaleigh, bjornmeansbear, publicdomainphotography, Leonard J Matthews, Exile on Ontario St, Nicholas_T, marcoverch, planman, PhilWolff, j_lai, t.kunikuni, zeevveez, Ian W Scott, Brett Jordan, RonAlmog, Bob Linsdell, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, aaron_anderer, ** RCB **, Tony Webster, mypubliclands, AntonStetner, Zachi Evenor, MrJamesBaker, sammydavisdog, Frode Ramone, Wonder woman0731, wrachele, kennethkonica, Skall_Edit, Pleuntje, Rennett Stowe, *S A N D E E P*, symphony of love, AlexanderJonesi, Arya Ziai, ePublicist, Enokson, Tony Webster, Art4TheGlryOfGod, seaternity, Andrew Tarvin, zeevveez, Israel_photo_gallery, Iqbal Osman1, Matt From London, Tribes of the World, Eric Kilby, miracle design, RonAlmog, slgckgc, Kim Scarborough, DonkeyHotey, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, h.koppdelaney, gleonhard, Pedro Travassos, nociveglia, RonAlmog, Israel_photo_gallery, Septemia, Paulann_Egelhoff, Tatiana12, MAD Hippies Life, Neta Bartal, milesgehm, shooting brooklyn, RonAlmog, smilygrl, gospelportals, leighblackall, symensphotographie, zeevveez, Kyknoord, wotashot (taking a break), Tambako the Jaguar, bitmask, Arnie Sacknooson, mattymatt, Rob Swystun, zeevveez, Dun.can, Tim Patterson, timeflicks, garlandcannon, HRYMX, fred_v, Yair Aronshtam, zeevveez, Ron Cogswell, FindYourSearch, Israel_photo_gallery, Serendipity Diamonds, zeevveez, Steve Corey, Dominic's pics, leighklotz, Stefans02, dannyman, RonAlmog, Stephen O, RonAlmog, Tips For Travellers, Futurilla, anomalous4, Bob Linsdell, AndyMcLemore, symphony of love, andydr, sara~, Gamma Man, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, robef, European Southern Observatory, Brett Jordan, Johnny Silvercloud, Israel_photo_gallery, smkybear, --Sam--, Paulann_Egelhoff, Selena Sheridan, D'oh Boy, campbelj45ca, 19melissa68, entirelysubjective, Leimenide, dheera.net, Brett Jordan, HonestReporting.com, Iqbal Osman1, One Way Stock, Jake Waage, picto:graphic, Marcelo Alves, KAZVorpal, Sparkle Motion, Brett Jordan, Ambernectar 13, Howdy, I'm H. Michael Karshis, Steven DuBois, Cristian V., tortuga767, Jake Cvnningham, D'oh Boy, Eric Kilby, quinn.anya, Lenny K Photography, One Way Stock, Bird Eye, ell brown, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, Kevin M. Gill, lunar caustic, gerrybuckel, quinn.anya, Kaz Andrew, kodomut, kayugee, jintae kim's photography, Futurilla, terri_bateman, Patty Mooney, Amydeanne, Paulann_Egelhoff, Mulling it Over, Ungry Young Man, Ruth and Dave, yangouyang374, symphony of love, kennethkonica, young@art, Brett Jordan, slgckgc, Celestine Chua, rkimpeljr, Kristoffer Trolle, TooFarNorth, D'oh Boy, Grace to You, LittleStuff.me, Kevin M. Gill, philozopher, traveltipy.com, Alan Cleaver, crazyoctopus, d_vdm, tonynetone, penjelly, TheToch, JohnE777, hello-julie, DaveBleasdale, Michael Candelori Photography, andessurvivor, slgckgc, byzantiumbooks, sasha diamanti