..is one that I had a somewhat peculiar take on. As a black Brit, I can say with some authority that the idea of minority integration into the UK mainstream has for too long been just that.. a hot air sound bite of an idea. Its straight out of the 'Idiots guide to campaigning in a minority constituency' book, Chapter 1. I would wager that most reasonably educated people right across the colour spectrum recognise this, even if at the fringe extremes, the 'intelligencia' might not agree on whether or not integration is even a good idea (e.g. BNP supporters, Muslim extremists etc) These sound bites are of course the lowest common denominator of message. I think all of it misses the point.
Britain has always struggled with forcing fundamentally opposite ideas to co-exist. For instance, her colonial history of empire building and slavery.. with today's PC idea of the melting pot. Does Britain honestly think minorities have forgotten how and why they got their in the very first place?
Another example.. how about the United Kingdom of devolved, almost.. kinda.. nearly separate independent.. (but not quite..) countries.. (but not quite...) with their own languages (though only Engish is the Queen's) and money, curiously always called the pound!
My point? Integration is an evolutionary idea borne out of the dream of democracy. Nobody has found the answer yet. How do you espouse the tenets of free speech and pluralism.. without muzzling those who would advocate at the top of their lungs the ideals of a one-religion fundamentalist state? In the end, in a democracy, its the wishes of the many that must be heard and heeded. In the end, whatever one's religious or political persuasion, I believe it is incumbent upon every citizen of every nation to embrace those values and principles that are their nations own. Its called being a patriot.
As a black Brit, I'm British first. Regardless of race, religion or ethnicity, I expect my fellow Brits to either be patriots, or renounce the citizenship.
..is one that I had a somewhat peculiar take on. As a black Brit, I can say with some authority that the idea of minority integration into the UK mainstream has for too long been just that.. a hot air sound bite of an idea. Its straight out of the 'Idiots guide to campaigning in a minority constituency' book, Chapter 1. I would wager that most reasonably educated people right across the colour spectrum recognise this, even if at the fringe extremes, the 'intelligencia' might not agree on whether or not integration is even a good idea (e.g. BNP supporters, Muslim extremists etc) These sound bites are of course the lowest common denominator of message. I think all of it misses the point.
Britain has always struggled with forcing fundamentally opposite ideas to co-exist. For instance, her colonial history of empire building and slavery.. with today's PC idea of the melting pot. Does Britain honestly think minorities have forgotten how and why they got their in the very first place?
Another example.. how about the United Kingdom of devolved, almost.. kinda.. nearly separate independent.. (but not quite..) countries.. (but not quite...) with their own languages (though only Engish is the Queen's) and money, curiously always called the pound!
My point? Integration is an evolutionary idea borne out of the dream of democracy. Nobody has found the answer yet. How do you espouse the tenets of free speech and pluralism.. without muzzling those who would advocate at the top of their lungs the ideals of a one-religion fundamentalist state? In the end, in a democracy, its the wishes of the many that must be heard and heeded. In the end, whatever one's religious or political persuasion, I believe it is incumbent upon every citizen of every nation to embrace those values and principles that are their nations own. Its called being a patriot.
As a black Brit, I'm British first. Regardless of race, religion or ethnicity, I expect my fellow Brits to either be patriots, or renounce the citizenship.