Francis responds to recent columns by Joan Brickner and Tony Bender.
After reading a Forum column by Joan Brickner about the supposed bigotry of Victor Orban, I felt compelled to respond.
Apparently, Orban came under fire for his CPAC speech, where he unapologetically reiterated his promise to "to preserve Hungary's security and Christian culture." In that speech, Orban said that the main task of his new government will be to preserve Hungary's security and Christian culture, sticking to his nationalist policy to keep out migrants and fend off what he calls foreign meddling.
His plans, in his own words, were to “build a Christian democracy," something he, and the majority of his countrymen believe is the main goal of his newly forming government. He even went farther to clarify that he did not endorse bigotry at a joint news conference by edifying, “I am the only politician in the EU who stands for an openly anti-immigration policy. ... This is not a race issue for us, this is a cultural issue.”
I see nothing wrong with that. I say this as a Black American male.
Orban is concerned about Western propaganda, and the propagation of the "values" we export, having a negative impact on the cultural fabric of Hungary. And in my humble opinion, he is spot on.
Just take a look at the deterioration of our own culture in America.
We, here in Fargo, gained national attention, because anti-Christian and anti-American propaganda is so effective that the folks running our school board thought it would be a good idea to nix the recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag and founding values of the United States at the beginning of their meetings. The offending phrases were: “one Nation under God,” and “with liberty and justice for all."
Let that sink in…
I read with mild enthusiasm as Brickner drew comparisons with pretzel-like alacrity to Woodrow Wilsons adoption of “a brand of social Christianity that justified white supremacy…” and President Orban's vision for the future of his country. In my opinion, that logic is faulty at best, but disingenuous at the very least.
Orban's vision and sentiments for his country can be summed up with his statement here:
"[National sovereignty] is coming from God, and nature. All begins with us. This is our country. This is our population. This is our history, our language. We have to [secure our borders]. Of course, if you're in trouble and there's nobody closer to you than the Hungarians, you have to be helpful.
“But you can't say, okay, it's a nice country. I would like to come and live here because it's a nicer life. But it is not a human right to come here. No way. It's our land. It's a nation, a community, family, history, tradition, language."
There’s nothing sinister, let alone bigoted, about that sentiment.
We live in a time where liberals teach our children anti-Christian views like sodomy is good and gender is a "spectrum." They teach our kids that the Bible of their forefathers is a bigoted book of overly restrictive, un-inclusive rules. They teach our daughters that killing off their progeny children is a good choice.
They teach our kids that bigotry isn’t only a good thing, but is virtuous when directed against white America, with bonus points if directed at the white American Christian male.
That’s a culture at war against its founding.
That’s a culture in un-survivable decline.
And it's exactly what Orban is seeking to avoid at all costs.
I unapologetically agree with him.
Leon Francis lives in Fargo.