Freedom Of Screech
By Erik Rush
February 19, 2007
I recently had the pleasure of being asked to speak at one of our institutions of higher education on the subject of cultural assimilation of ethnic / immigrant groups. The organizer of this series of culturally relevant topics just happened to be searching for a qualified speaker in this area when my publisher's intrepid Book Publicist, Kelly Hansen (credit where credit is due) just happened to give the lady a call. It's one of those things that occurs purely coincidentally, of course, unless one believes in God or some other such rubbish.
Since my new book Annexing Mexico: Solving the Border Problem Through
Annexation and Assimilation was slated for release within days of the scheduled appearance, the organizer was quite excited to have found someone who not only fit the bill, but who might draw a sizeable and truly interested audience. I considered wearing body armor but decided against it at the last minute for reasons I won't get into here.
The city in which this college is located has a strong Mexican-American presence, and although my focus was the history and dynamics of cultural assimilation in America, given the present situation concerning our border with Mexico (i.e., the "Border Crisis"), I would have been remiss had I not given it some attention.
Some of the Latino leaders in the community were in attendance, and although I believe they fully expected me to launch into a diatribe advocating satellite-mounted microwave generators calculated to barbecue Manuel, his pregnant wife and small children as they waded across the Rio Grande, they were surprised to discover that my ideas weren't "extreme" at all -- at least to them. Although they politely expressed disagreement on certain points during the Q&A, they were polite, cordial and insightful. We had a very pleasant conversation afterward, and it was a valuable exchange of ideas all around.
Of course, these were as I said, Latino leaders of that community as opposed to fired-up professional socialist activists and their misguided, adrenalized acolytes. Hence the cordiality and productive exchange of ideas. The first point I'm making is that even those in stark disagreement can interact in a productive, creative manner.
The second point is one that came up just prior to my taking the podium that day. The organizer of the event pulled me aside and mentioned that she had been telephoned by a colleague on campus within days prior to the event: "Do you know what this Erik Rush guy is about?" the colleague asked with alarm.
"Well, yes," the organizer had replied. "I've seen his website..."
"Do you know that he's one of those far Right Christian conservatives?"
"Yes," the organizer said. "But we hosted gay advocates last week, and we're hosting an Islamic contingent next week. It seems to be in keeping with our spirit of true cultural diversity."
Needless to say, this event didn't take place at Columbia University or UCLA, where Minuteman Project members were assaulted and their appearance cancelled, respectively.
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