November 2007 41
in its place. “Clemens’ America
had had a uniform value system
and its growth into the country that
was the envy of the world had
taken place with breathtaking
speed before his eyes. But he at-
tacked the price America was pay-
ing, the vulgar greed, the political
and corporate corruption, and not
least, the disruptive swarm of im-
migrants, largest in our history.
The rural charms of agrarian
America had been eclipsed he felt
by social breakdown and imper-
sonal, foul-smelling, crowded ur-
ban streets.
Has today’s America, formerly
naive and willing to lend a hand to
anyone any time, also become too
arrogant and self-absorbed? We
pursue trivialities; we and our kids
are dangerously overweight
through laziness and lack of imagi-
nation—everything comes too
easy, work is a bore, yet we’re pre-
Figure 3 An 1803 hand carried letter from an elderly Chatham MA father to
his son in Suffield MA, conceding he is “old and my work wearys me greatly
occupied by material goods. Cor-
This world will soon be at an end with us all and it ought to be our greatist
porate greed is headline news in
concern to prepare for a better
world...in that Righteousness that Jesus Christ
healthcare, energy, housing, and
has wrought out for guilty Repenting Sinners.” Maybe a Congregationalist
banking. According to recent fig- church goer? A later letter (1806) says the father was near death from
ures, American CEO’s take 260 dysentery.
times their average worker’s wage,
whereas by comparison, Japanese CEO’s earn 40
view with months divided among various groups
times. Distracted parents let strangers bring up their
whose individual praises are glorified on bulletin
kids at the most critical period, early childhood, and
boards and announcements.
are too tired to discipline them after work.
Between 1890 and 1910, Theodore Roosevelt and
Those ‘soulless’ media personalities who lead sleazy
Samuel Clemens witnessed the greatest percentage
,
amoral, yet glamorous public lives, are offered to chil-
influx of immigrants with their new faiths, languages,
dren as role models. Ed further sees America splinter
and manifold cultural elements unsurpassed till our
-
ing more and more into racial and ethnic groupings
day. Both were very wary of this overwhelming rush
instead of joining with a single voice, one identity and
of humanity and their new ways.
language. All tolled, he bitterly adds we’ve lost the
Roosevelt particularly disliked the habit of some
ability and the right to inspire, let alone lead the world.
groups to retain their former status by describing them-
‘Melting Pot’ or ‘Salad Bowl’
selves as ‘Italian-Americans’, or ‘Jewish-Americans’,
etc. He said, “When America becomes a country of
The traditional construction of America was the ho-
hyphenated Americans, it will cease to be America”.
mogenous ‘melting pot’. Today, the politically cor-
He felt that you come to America to change yourself,
rect view is America as ‘salad bowl’, rich in chunks of
not to change America, and that without assimilation,
individuality and ‘doing your thing’, a blend no longer.
we shall begin to fight among ourselves, but to a coun-
In schools today it is required to tout the salad bowl
try this is death.
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