The right to leave ...

'IMMIGRANTS,  NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT.. Take It Or Leave It.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '

'This culture has been developed over two  centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions  of men and women who have sought freedom'

'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish,  Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any  other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, Learn the language!'

'Most Australians (but not me) believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you  are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take  advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE  RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

Prime  Minister Julia Gillard -  Australia

Comment:

Immigrants get away with their positioning due a major intellectual confusion between social structure and culture. The social structure is the core of the political processes and ethics that define the nature of the society. Culture is how some group within the plural structure chooses to live. Social structure deals with legislative, judicial, law enforcement processes; culture with how people live within the social structure. We need understand that it is the social structure that in fact enables the plural freedom, and hence it is social structure we must protect at all costs.

We are a western democracy, committed to individual freedom, and a market economy. The society is plural, so within the Law, people may live as they please, pursue their own ends with the ethical constraint that in so pursuing their fulfilment they do not restrict others in pursuit their's. So Catholics pursue Catholicism, Protestants, Church of England, non-believers, atheism and Muslims may pursue Mohammad. This is plural society in action.

Where the actions of any group conflict with the core social processes and norms, then it is the group that must adapt, recognising there is a greater good, a greater group to which they belong, and core rules of social structure cannot must not be adapted merely to the preferences of any group.

We need all see clearly that the core of social structure, hard won over thousands of years in the west, enables a level of freedom unprecedented in global history, and to change that, to moderate it in fact endangers the very freedoms we now enjoy.

The Western measure of freedom is two fold, laws that enable differences, and laws that fall equally on all. It is the latter where we in New Zealand fail, and is the reason I oppose in principle the Maori seats. Any group has the right to form a political party, but no group has the right to have that enabled by preferential legislature. And in the first issue, laws enabling differences, is why I oppose Sharia Law and the Muslim way. I believe that each person has the right within a reasonable framework of law, to pursue the fulfillment of their own spirit.

The West has already seen assertion of religious authority, the religious wars of the 1600s, and in England when heretic Catholics were purged from society. We know, from our culture and history, how valuable these rules of social structure, how hard won and at what huge cost in life and suffering, we ignore our history at our peril.