September 6, 2004
TELL ALL THE FOLKS IN RUSSIA, AND CHINA TOO:
'Love's Refugees' Feel Betrayed by Denmark: Immigration and marriage laws send culturally mixed couples into exile. (Jeffrey Fleishman, September 6, 2004, LA Times)
The train is sleek and fast that each night carries Christina Reves away from her country and toward her husband. It races through Denmark's scattered marshes and clicks over a bridge and across the water, stopping 35 minutes later in Sweden.Reves, a Dane, is married to Walid Badawi, an Egyptian. The couple — and more than 1,200 like them — will tell you that love knows no bounds until it encounters Danish immigration laws. This nation is increasingly anti-foreigner, and its strict marriage regulations are sending hundreds of culturally mixed couples into exile each year.
"I cross what is known as 'Love Bridge' every night to Sweden, and we joke that we're love's refugees," said Reves, who is training in Copenhagen to be a real estate agent.
"I feel betrayed and sad. It's not just the rightist politicians. It's the Danish people too. We've become very small-minded. We're such a rich country, but those of us who married foreigners can't share it with our spouses."
Remind us again why anyone cares about continental Europe? Posted by Orrin Judd at September 6, 2004 8:36 AM
Denmark had no history of racism until the Jihadniks showed up. It saved the vast bulk of its Jews during WWII. It has been a destination for Black Christians from Africa, particularly Uganda and Kenya, seeking work, education and opportunity. Now, the Muslims show up and there's racism all of a sudden.
Posted by: Bart at September 6, 2004 8:46 AMI agree that this is painful in general, and the policies could maybe use a tweak here and there, but I am no inclined to gripe about Denmark taking these steps.
Frnakly, easily as much to blame as the jihadists are the multi-culti nitwits who, dare I say it, may hold the same opinions toward these laws as certain bloggers. The problem is not admitting immigrants, it is the craven unwillingess to make DEMANDS upon them, essentially that they walk away from significant parts (not necessarily all) of their culture that they came from. If they are not willing to do this.... hey, try Brazil, door is that way. Do this UNAPOLOGETICALLY, and a great many assimilation problems can be addressed. But the idiot brigades MUST feel good about themselves by stopping that from happening.
The global "tolerance" ideology of such Westerners is as much to blame for Beslan and horrors to come as the animals that did it.
Posted by: Andrew X at September 6, 2004 10:45 AMWe must continue to observe European degeneration because we need to be reminded of the dangers in following the Carter/Clinton path. There, but for the resurgence of the republican party go.......
Posted by: ed at September 6, 2004 12:45 PMAndrew:
exactly. Multi-culti is the enemy, not the immigrants.
Posted by: oj at September 6, 2004 5:35 PMI find your remark impossible to square with your remark yesterday about how the Christian Lebanese ought to leave Lebanon to the Shia.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at September 6, 2004 5:53 PMThe Christians of Lebanon are like Afrikaaners--they don't think the Shi'a fit to govern them, but they're going to.
Posted by: oj at September 6, 2004 6:01 PMI'd say they're right. But that's irrelevant.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at September 6, 2004 10:27 PMThe Danes are the first country in Europe to show signs of a backbone. Whay are you raging on them OJ?
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 6, 2004 10:43 PMThe Christians of Lebanon are more like Rhodesian Whites, fleeing all over the world. However, unlike Rhodesian Whites who never stop whining, the Maronites get their butts in gear and make a go of things in their new surroundings, whether it is Latin America, West Africa, Israel or Australia.
Posted by: Bart at September 6, 2004 10:50 PMThe painful side-effects (at least for some
of these people) of putting the nation's house
in order.