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1,400 Petitions Call for Lewiston Mayor to Step Down

by The Associated Press - October 4th 2012 02:20pm - Read more Regional News

Lewiston - Critics are seeking the ouster of a Maine mayor who said his city's Somali immigrants should "accept our culture and leave your culture at the door."

The Maine People's Alliance on Thursday delivered about 1,400 petitions calling for Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald to step down over his comments to the British Broadcasting Corp.

About 6,000 Somali immigrants have settled into this former mill town and a neighboring city in search of affordable housing and a safe place to live. One of them, 26-year-old Nimo Yonis, described the mayor's words as "derogatory and inflammatory" during a rally at City Hall.

Macdonald has since attempted to clarify his comments, saying immigrants should try to assimilate into American culture, not that they need to give up their language, religion or traditions.

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Comments

We don't all have to eat the same foods and dance the same dances, but we do have to speak the same language and share certain other values. Here's my top-ten list of what we should expect from those who want to become Americans (and those who are already Americans, for that matter). The list was first published in a National Review Online column a decade ago [link: http://old.nationalreview.com/comment/comment091200d.shtml ], and it is fleshed out in Congressional testimony [link: http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/May2007/Clegg070523.pdf ]:

1. Don’t disparage anyone else’s race or ethnicity.
2. Respect women.
3. Learn to speak English.
4. Be polite.
5. Don’t break the law.
6. Don’t have children out of wedlock.
7. Don’t demand anything because of your race or ethnicity.
8. Don’t view working and studying hard as “acting white.”
9. Don’t hold historical grudges.
10. Be proud of being an American.
Roger Clegg Roger Clegg 10/04/2012 02:12 pm
He should not resign but he most certainly should apologize about how he worded his comments and the fact that he will not apologize to the citizens is the issue now.
Max Max 10/05/2012 06:16 am

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