Because America no longer wants its immigrants to assimilate, they are too busy being told to be diverse so America is now becoming more tribal.  The goal of the diversity crowd is the Balkanization of America.  They no longer want us to share a common culture.  See this thread where I describe it in more detail: Diversity, What is it and is it good?

I still like Degler's Salad Bowl... the shortcoming today is that the diversity crowd is interpreting the Constitution which is supposed to be the unifying salad dressing.  >:(

Not that hard really… besides the money spent on bankrolling the AmRev, the French Crown had a rep for wasteful spending. Versailles which had started out as a hunting lodge (rather plush but a lodge none-the-less) becomes, in reality, a advert for the craftsmanship of the French workers that designed and built it. To show just what the peasants and lower middle class were saddled with I used to use a simulation game from a group called History Alive (c). After some factual groundwork the class was divided up by Estate, alone with a King, Queen, and Controller General; the majority being Third Estate…First thing was to produce food; the peasant made food coupons, while their manor lord encouraged them. The Clergy wander about the room blessing the peasants and wencouraging them also. The Nobles (K,Q&C-G) sit in front and visit... occasionally adding a bit of encouragement as well. The kids know there will need to be 20 coupons per each to survive the winter.The strategy varies widely among a group of 10th graders, as you can imagine, but most play along as this is an experiential activity they aren't accustomed too. Those that buy in really learn the lesson... those that don't are left behind ( :o).Next step (2nd day) is count and divide the food. Some questions arise when people (absent the day before) are added to a group and others have fewer (absent today). Fairness is questioned but population varies with births and deaths. Grumbles aside the count is concluded and most think they are in...Next step; Church takes 10% off top, Crown 50% of the remaining, Manor Lord 50% of remaining... now we divide by # of peasants. At least one group is toast at this point. One or two groups are gloating since the have managed to keep 20-25 coupons each. Oh by the way... bad crop year prices double with inflation... you need 40 to survive.After the hissing and moaning stops there is usually one group that survives, barely. Like I said if they were playing along they get the idea. Also when you tie this to the exercise (extension of this one) on the meeting of the Estates-General they are as ready to revolt as if they were there themselves.One of those things that doesn't look like teaching to some but gets more results that lots of other ploys.

“On every question of construction [of the Constitution] let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or intended against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed.”–Jefferson.http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quotes_by/thomas+jefferson

....I would submit that first we need to teach the young generation to think critically and to look for themselves instead of spoon feeding them selected tidbits from either side and telling them what to think.  Until we do that, this debate is academic anyway.

Sadly true... but you are correct about what and how we need to teach; first, last and always. Not, however, likely to happen any time soon.  🙁

Don't mean to hijack this but I need to follow up on Donnie's comments.

Nor did I... at least I don't think I did as AmRev bored me in those days. Learned it in college and taught it to my eight graders. They needed to know though usually unified we're very seldom unanimous.

I was paying attention that day... my teacher required us to read 1846 by DeVoto. Truth told I didn't read it completely until I was in my 50's even though it was assigned in college as well  8) But Polk was defending the good American that settled Texas... my take is as soon as the took the free land from Mexico they weren't Americans anymore. Lincoln was right... "show me where on American soil blood was shed."

Learned this much later, possibly when I read Zinn, but consistent with the man and his cultural baggage. Ugly to us... the norm for him.

Even many of the abolitionists weren't too fond of the sons of Ham being in their neighborhood... more concerned about their personal salvation than equal rights for the Blacks.

An example of it being okay to break one law to enforce another... not what we want to hear, but unless we do it continues. Main reason for the Constitution is to prevent stuff like this. See how well it's working? 😉

Can't mess with a martyr, eh? Had JFK lived he'd have spent lots of time living down what dad accomplished; unless he got a pass, like on so many other issues.

See 5 above....

Simple; I asked the kids who wanted a free college education... all hands up. Who wanted a job for life... all hands up. Assured retirement with benefits... again all hands. "Welcome to communism", I said. We then looked at the 10 point program from Uncle Karl... pretty scarey. Even HS sophomores can understand the gov't owning and controlling all the land, banks, industies, and transportation. Add to that the abolition of property rights and inheritance... they'll get it quick.

My kids got the benefit of me being a union rep.  😮 Seriously, if one studies the Industrial Revolution one will see why unions exist. Not defending the way NEA and the like work on a national level but at the local level w/o a union some folks get squashed. Union type or not the teacher needs to step up, forget the test for a day and get the kids up to speed on what makes the world work.

Bad as it looks we need to see it to understand how much better we've gotten.

The thing that keeps this from happening enough is the same reason we don't tell the little kids most of Columbus' sailors were likely rapists and murderers... they aren't ready to learn the truth (think Nicholson in A Few Good Men). By the time they are ready it's too hard, in most cases, to unteach the fluffy crap. "nother reason I'm out of it... I unfluffied too much for some peoples' taste.  ;D No angst and frothing though... just a healthy dose of what's wrong with this picture? We need to check our hold card once in awhile... this was my way of doing so. Curiously most parents that commented were very positive; must have been okay.

... perhaps his screed is better thought of as a scream --ala Munch--against thehypocrisy and Babbitism of American society.  Zinn should be read to flavour the stew.  One need notadopt his views, but one ought to hear of them.

Nicely put willy; I've read this book and agree with your call. BTW, welcome, it's nice to have you here.Wally

scout, I use the same tactic for long posts; for the same reasons.  😉

Are you saying that the DNC inserted all those hordes of people at Obama rallies to give the impression that the masses were behind him when they were not??  ;D

Why not? The Russians were masters at this before digital (wish I'd picked it up) according to a book I looked over when I was teaching photo.