Intergalactic Summit

You'd THINK there would be ghettos, but not really. There are some poorer neighborhoods, but those aren't limited to immigrants, not by a long shot. Gallenteans end up there just as often as anyone else. But I see what you're saying.

To me though, it's more about being able to be with your own people who also seek out a new life. Sure, moving to the Federation can be great and exciting and you get exposed to all kinds of cultures and things you never knew even existed. Foods you've never tried, animals never seen, people never seen, sounds never heard, smells never smelt. ALL of it right there. But at the end of the day, you are who you are. It's great you're willing to open up to new cultures, but if you like your roots and you still want to settle in with your own people while learning and exploring, you can. People do it often. They live life within the law and explore all there is to see and do, but maintain their roots and culture. That's the whole point of it.

Everyone gets exposed to the best and sometimes worst of everything. But they still preserve or augment their own culture to keep adding to the diaspora that is the Federation. So I don't think it's only racial ghettos. There's actually a Jin-Mei neighborhood I've seen that's WAY nicer than some others I've seen of any race. Incredibly pricey boutiques, gourmet restaurants, the works. Same with this Caldari neighborhood. They keep very regimented lives and high discipline but man when they apply it to creativity ...phew. The art and music and food they make from inspiration on Caille is NUTS.

Literally, they use nuts. I've never seen nuts used like they did before in a dish.

But to sort of touch on what Bellfleur said, and I'm sorry but, you're sounding a lot like the kind of people we USED to hate. Closed off, hypocritical. What the hell? So because some empire's do things one way we have to follow? I'm sorry but when did we follow instead of lead? When did accepting cultures becoming watering down of our own? When did our way of life become threatened by someone elses traditions that are LAWFUL? When did respecting wishes of another culture get cast aside as we hide behind our laws as an excuse not to work together?

Most importantly, when did sharing culture and experience equate to the Gallente way of life being eliminated?

You sound like one of those nutjob nationalists man. I'm sorry if that's harsh, but I have no respect for the nationalistic tendencies showing up in the Federation. That's not the Federation I know nor is it one we should revert to, ever.

Those only exist in poorly-written holoreels that use Sani Sabik stereotypes as a cheap plot device, Schere.

I think, Mr. Belfleur, that the point is that a person's behavior should be dictated by their own beliefs, not by where they happen to be standing at the moment -- provided, of course, that they're not doing anything illegal. Otherwise, you are indeed saying that Matari -- if they want to be Matari instead of Gallente -- should go back to the Republic.

... I thought you were referring to a person vampire, not the class of capacitor warfare systems. My bad.

If the place in which a person is standing is another person's home - or indeed, a whole other people's cultural cradle - I do indeed believe that they should adjust their behavior and expectations to accommodate that fact. This cultural melting pot Captain Anslo talks about is not something I am comfortable seeing on my people's and my culture's homeworld, and I freely admit as much. In fact, that development is in large part the reason my own family (among many others) decided to leave the planet generations ago, to better preserve our ancestral culture in a less disturbed place. It was not an easy decision, but it was a necessary one.

That does not, however, equate to saying that they should all go back to the Republic if they want to live their lives according to the ways of their respective tribes. I believe there are plenty of worlds within the Federation which were settled almost entirely by Minmatar, and I see no problem with them living exactly like they want, there. Our homeworld and the Federation are not synonomous with each other, and never should be.

That's a silly thing to say, what makes you think that? It's not the Empire Of Plastic Gallente And Their Subject People Whom They Must Respect, it's the Federation. All Federal citizens are expected to, well, compromise their identity, if you want to call it that. From what I hear, there's an old tradition of pretty brutal street fighting among the Gallente, but if they kill one another doing it, they've broken the law and they'll be punished. Federation Amarr aren't allowed to hold slaves. Federation Minmatar can't do whatever the hell it is they do to the ones who get unfortunate voluval marks. They're all compromising their identity in order to be Federation citizens.

I think what we're seeing here is people facing new threats and dangers looking at their neighbors and identifying the different-looking ones as part of those threats and dangers. Nothing new, just sad.

Except our 'cradle' was meant for everyone to come, share, and unite. We weren't being benevolent gods letting people in so we might grace them with our ways. That's selfish and stupid. That's not what the FEDERATION is about.


Again, why is sharing and understanding something you're afraid of? Why does it make one weak? If you have to be like that, isn't it better to know your 'enemies' more? Get over it. Our way of life isn't dying because an Intaki man marries an Amarrian or because a Brutor woman and Gallentean woman are the best of friends. For crying out loud. And again, when does exchange turn into 'racial takeover?' You sound a nationalist nut AND a racist now.



Yes, they are. I'm sorry but this one statement discredits you completely and shows everything that is wrong with our home.

Our homeworld was where we started. It was where the ideals of democracy and equality were sewn. It was where the Garoun rose and flourished not because of one race but many races. It was where Doule dos Rouvenor III, may he rest in peace, reigned over 36 years of peace of all people's of all types. Our homeworld is where the ideals and belief of equality, understanding, education, from ALL people, was born.

So now you stand there, telling me, that our homeworld is an exception to the rules we created and lived by? The very same Constitution which supposedly is upheld for the good of all who come to the Federation?

"Oh they can have their own planet, but not here. This one is special, even though it's the source of our ideals came from that attracted you. If you live here you have to be like everyone else even though we "pride" ourselves in diversity."

I'm sorry for this, but get bent. You and people like you are what's wrong with my home. But at least you moved off world. Wouldn't want those filthy tribals mucking up your gene pool and culture now would we?

*******.

As an aside citizens of the State might appreciate, we see here the issue that makes us so fiercely independent:

We are told by many that the Federation is accepting, cosmopolitan, and that being Caldari is a state of mind that would continue to flourish even if we were to live on our homeworld under Federation governance. At the same time, it becomes clear that we would be immersed in a society that -- due to its being dominated by Gallente norms and mores -- would render us a curiosity, an aberration. We'd be made other, alienated by the culture that claims to welcome all.

And with this logic, the Gallente justified their continued occupation of our homeworld.

Obviously, now the homeworld has some Caldari governance, and the situation is likely to be more stable, lasting than Heth's occupation, so it's not as much an issue as it once was.

Still, mind this well.

Not people of all types, Captain. People native to our world.

Our people is older than the Federation. It is also older than modern democracy.

If I were so racist as some of you suggest, I would not myself be engaged to a Khanid woman, who by the way happens to be the loveliest person I have ever met. Indeed, there are many facets of Khanid culture I find fascinating and appealing. When I visit the Kingdom, however, I am always conscious of the fact that my presence there and the cultural insights I gain thereby are always a privilege, never a right. I love her, I believe I honor her, and I certainly hope she doesn't feel that I'm trying to deprive her of her identity in any way.

What I would not want to see is entire Khanid city districts, or even whole cities, spring up on my own native world in Gererique. Nor would I ever dream of banding up with other Gallente to establish some sort of cultural enclave deep inside the Khanid Kingdom.

Is the difference clear? I hope so. I am not sure I can explain it any plainer.

This is an exceedingly poor choice of quotes to use in this situation. It was this sentiment that was used to justify the response to Nouvelle Rouvenor.

Context is important.

The context this statement was made in was anything but the one you are trying to use it for.