Gesture Required from Hmong Among Us

I was outraged by the massacre of landowners in Minnesota by the Hmong poacher. I am originally from Minnesota and remember the state as one of the most tolerant in the country regarding race. More tolerant than the state I now call home, New York.

I was even more outraged as I read articles blaming this on the "racism" the Hmong in general feel they live under. This is a typical blame the victim attitude.

The fact we welcomed these people into our country as our guests, nay equals, makes it incumbent upon them to learn and obey our rules. Rules we developed by a hard process of trial and error to prevent conflicts such as this. It is the Hmongs general lack of understanding of these rules that is the proximate cause of these killings.

I do not think it is enough for a few Hmong leaders or even all Hmong to be "outraged and sickened" by this crime. They have to take decisive action to make sure this doesn't happen again and to gain trust in the community. One way they can do this is to show that hunting privileges are less important to them than the human lives loss due to their lack of respect for US hunting laws and property rights.

Only actions and not words can show that they truly believe this. I suggest that they organize a voluntary cessation of hunting for one season by all Hmong within the US. During this season all Hmong hunters would pay the registration fees they normally would for hunting, collect those moneys and give them to the families of those who were brutally massacred. They should also take a public vow to obey US hunting regulations and to not trespass on private property.

They should also refrain from using the "race card" in their interactions with other citizens. It is an ugly method to gain economic advantage. Many ethnic groups have settled in the United States only to do better economically than the current residents. As an example, West Indians, the ancestors of slaves, and blacker than any other American minority, now have higher incomes than the average American because of their exemplary work ethic.

Racial animus is not a barrier to success in a free society, because it is in the interest of even the most racist employer to hire a minority if their pay scale is suppressed. If a racist employer did not do so he would soon be put out of business by those willing to recognize the true value of the work output of the minority worker.

Until such a gesture is done there will be a stain on the Hmong community similar to that haunting the Islamic community for not responding to the events of 9/11 except with celebration here and abroad. Claiming outrage is not enough. These communities must purge themselves of the attitudes that lead them to trespass against others. They must stop teaching that nonbelievers are evil and deserve to be killed. This requires a rejection of some of the most central teachings of the Koran, so it will not be easy. Many Christian sects have accomplished the rejection of parts of the Bible so it is not an impossible task. It is however a task that needs to be done and not one that is the responsibility of the nonbelieving victims to accomplish.

I do not know if the Hmong have similar customs and beliefs but if they do they need to purge themselves of them to live in a modern pluralistic society. I certainly hope they do not has as long a journey as the Muslims require.