By Stan Gudmundson
Peterson, MN
Not long ago, there were letters in the Journal criticizing President Trump for his language. And his policies. Except for Somalis, neither one addressed anything important other than highlighting the author’s Trump Derangement Syndrome.
We have long taken for granted that immigrants who come to the U.S. come here to integrate into our “melting pot.” But now, that is not what is always happening. Instead, we have become a “salad bowl” having a wide mix of “ingredients.” And some of those “ingredients” don’t come here to mix and assimilate.
Obviously, who people are, determines our future. If we want to change our culture and our way of life, then bring in immigrants from the third-world who want America to be a version of the country from which they came. Then we can become third-world too. Culture is destiny.
Tom Sowell says that, “The illusion that you can take in large numbers of people from a fundamentally different culture, without jeopardizing you own culture, and everything that depends on it, should have been dispelled by many counterproductive social consequences in Europe, even aside from the fatal angers of terrorists. He also thinks that future historians will be “baffled when trying to understand how Western civilization welcomed vast numbers of people hostile to the fundamental values of Western civilization.”
Except for Poland and Hungary, Europe has a huge problem with Islam. But let us just look at how Somalis are doing here in the U.S. and in Somalia itself.
One observer noted, “Chaos in lawless Somalia is helping to transform East Africa into a major crime hub, with widespread trafficking in illegal drugs and other contraband … Somalia … is becoming a free economic zone for all sorts of trafficking drugs, migrants, guns, hazardous waste and natural resources, in addition to having the world’s most dangerous waterways because of piracy … there has been a ‘steady increase in organized crime’ in much of Somalia due to the inability of Somalia’s … government to enforce the law … conditions could get worse.”
Somalia is a failed state having a largely criminal culture. One cynic described Somalia as having only one major occupation. Piracy. Unfortunately, many Somali immigrants bring the values and habits of that failed culture with them.
Most Somalis are not assimilating. Their overwhelming reliance on public assistance programs is shown in the following:
– Welfare benefits – over 80%.
– Somalis with children – in Minnesota, almost 90%
– Medicaid – 73%
– Food stamps – 54%
– SNAP benefits – around 42%
– Poverty level – more than two-thirds
– Somali families who have been in the U.S. more than 10 years – 78% on welfare
The author concludes, “These statistics reflect the socioeconomic challenges faced by many Somalis in the U.S. The data highlights the need for targeted support and policy adjustments to address the welfare dependency of Somali communities.”
To that I say, BULLFEATHERS! Their “socioeconomic challenges” reflect their culture. A fact also reinforced by the incredible fraud some have committed. How big is it? One-billion, maybe upwards of nine-billion just in Minnesota.
What should we do? For our safety, we need to shut down immigration from Muslim countries and hope that those who are here now and their offspring will eventually fully assimilate.
The problem is that too many Muslims see the world through the lens of Sharia (Allah’s divine law). A Muslim imam affirms, “peace” in Islam is the state that exists when the entire world is under the control of sharia under a caliphate.
Jim Gardner says
Mr. Gundmundson,
I think it’s worth looking more carefully at how these numbers are being used.
The figures cited appear to come from a Center for Immigration Studies report, but it’s not clear how “Somali” is defined—whether that means recent immigrants, U.S.-born individuals, or something else. Those groups can have very different outcomes, so without that clarity, it’s hard to know what the numbers actually represent.
It also uses a very broad definition of “welfare.” In that data, a household can be counted if anyone in it—often a child—receives benefits like Medicaid or food assistance. That’s different from saying adults are unwilling to work, but it’s easy to read it that way.
More importantly, even if the numbers are taken at face value, they describe economic challenges within a specific group in one state. They don’t support broader conclusions about “Muslim culture” or justify sweeping policy proposals.
We should be able to talk honestly about poverty, fraud, and integration. But that conversation needs clear definitions and careful reasoning, not broad generalizations about entire groups of people. We should expect better than this.
Respectfully,
Jim Gardner
Center for Immigration Studies article likely referenced: https://cis.org/Report/Somali-Immigrants-Minnesota
Mr. Gudmundson,
I think it’s worth slowing down and looking more carefully at how these numbers are being used.
The figures cited appear to come from a Center for Immigration Studies report, but it’s not clear how “Somali” is defined—whether that means recent immigrants, U.S.-born individuals, or something else. Those groups can have very different outcomes, so without that clarity, it’s hard to know what the numbers actually represent.
It also uses a very broad definition of “welfare.” In that data, a household can be counted if anyone in it—often a child—receives benefits like Medicaid or food assistance. That’s very different from saying adults are unwilling to work, but it can easily be read that way.
More importantly, even if the numbers are taken at face value, they describe economic challenges within a specific group in one state. They don’t support broader conclusions about “Muslim culture” or justify sweeping policy proposals.
We should be able to talk honestly about poverty, fraud, and integration. But that conversation needs clear definitions and careful reasoning—not broad generalizations about entire groups of people. We should expect better than this.
Respectfully,
Jim Gardner
Center for Immigration Studies article likely referenced:
https://cis.org/Report/Somali-Immigrants-Minnesota
Joe says
People can say what they want but the facts tell the story. I live in Minneapolis and see first hand everyday the lack of assimilation in the Somali community.
Very few work and they have only added to the poor population here. They are not friendly overall, and if you haven’t been victim of an attempted robbery by them. Fortunately my boxing skills paid off, but it’s not an encounter I want to revisit as someone may have a weapon next time.
It only makes sense that we import people who are beneficial to America. All these people’s calling racism and virtue signaling will think differently when their children or themselves are victims.
Anonymous says
Facts are fact. Like them or not. Looks like most of them are not working or assimilating.
Anonymous says
Old, male, white supremacist. Your a classic.
Stanley James Gudmundson says
White supremacist? Tell that to my Asian wife. And to her best friend next door. A black lady from Tennessee. She’s my friend as well. And her husband too. Plus, all of our other ‘minority’ friends with a wide variety of skin colors from who knows where.
James Utley says
I can’t believe that the Editor would allow that headline.
Anonymous says
You’re clearly a racist. You clearly have never spent time in a Somali community. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I guess that’s what happens when you follow a racist in the White House.