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Do Whites Have a "Right" to Their Culture?
by Stojgniev O'Donnell
18 September 2004
My ancestors left the Old World in the 19th century. As far as I can tell, none were ideologues, at least not according to American standards. They came to America for work and land, two items scarce in their Old Country. One died for the Confederacy; one had her hip pierced by an Indian arrow as her family constructed the railroad westward; and most of them picked cotton at one time or another. Some spoke English, others didn't. Whether faceless or preserved in photograph, each of those individuals is dear to me.
The Americans haven't named any post offices or recreation centers after my ancestors, but for me, that would somehow dishonor their memory. I'll not be looking for such American tributes. I never developed that patriotic thing so many Americans exhibit these days. I believe American democracy is a hoax and the Constitution is something that long ago outlived its purpose. I reject the Puritans and their stuffy Calvinism. I spurn the idea that all men are created equal, as well as the notion that your next-door neighbor is wise enough to actively participate in the government that controls my life. It has something to do with my skewed sense of history and a disregard for human intelligence.
Life is full of human folly. Too many times what has seemed a blessing for one generation becomes a curse for its posterity. A prime example is colonialism and its after-effects in England and France. Were the advantages of wealth and power worth the misery visible today in multicultural London and in the North African slums of suburban France? How many with the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of 19th century colonialism had the prescience of mind to foresee what their descendants would experience? Nations pay the price for collective sins, a lesson that has been lost on America. I have no answers for the French and British. Their future is dim.
Following the German philosopher Herder, I believe that nations have destinies. Yet one must choose to participate in that destiny. Germany offers an interesting example of national destiny, one that Americans should take care to avoid. I myself am an admirer of German culture, and I believe no other single nation has produced such great music. I visit Germany on occasion. The young Germans I know are a "lost generation" unable to articulate a sense of personal or national identity. The Germans are a dying nation. Yet many still feel some sense of national identity that distinguishes them from other Europeans. (Most Germans would be shocked at the notion that Italians and Germans belong to the same "race"). Germany's Turkish problem is self-inflicted. The Germans chose the Turks as the major source of "guest workers" because of previous political alliances, but I suspect there was also something racial about that move. Perhaps the Germans felt that, of all possible alternatives, the Turks would be the least likely to assimilate, thereby guarding the racial purity of Germany. It was a mistake, something for which future generations will pay. The German nation is dying, to be replaced someday by Turks, who are proving to be of much sturdier stock. A people unwilling to father and raise children will someday be denied the right to exist. Like much of the West today, Germany is fat, lazy, confused, unwilling to sacrifice for future generations.
I told you about my ancestors. I commune with their spirits. (That's likely my Celto-Slavic blood.) What happens in my life was begun by my ancestors in the past, just as my actions will continue, evident in the life of my progeny. While I reject most of the American Constitution, I believe I have an inalienable right to perpetuate the culture of my ancestors. The Constitution does not guarantee me that right, so that in many respects today Negroes have more rights by the Constitution than I do. Yet I cultivate the borders that separate me and my family from those of foreign values, and I will not tolerate any country that denies me that right.
In the end, in the American context it comes down to values and culture. I demand the right to live among and associate with others who share my values and culture. Only secondarily does it have to do with race (I know Hispanics whose culture is more European, and therefore closer to my own, than that of lower middle class WASPs). I suggest that white Americans begin to consider the injustices that their government and Constitution impose in their daily lives. Do you have that same right as I do, the right to safeguard the culture and traditions of your ancestors? Well, I'm not sure. You see, you have that right only if you are willing to fight for it. And action strictly limited to participating in an internet discussion doesn't constitute fighting for the rights of your nation.
STOJGNIEV O'DONNELL
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