Entrance Exams and Exit Interviews

The Dutch have now developed a test, of sorts, before you can come to the Netherlands and become a citizen there.

Anti-immigration sentiment peaked with filmmaker Theo van Gogh's murder by a Dutch national of Moroccan descent in November 2004.

I'm sure that the Cartoon Wars had something to do with the recent passage of this newly required test. There has been a growing dissent among the Dutch concerning immigrants to their country which has been mostly directed at those of the Islamic faith. And probably for good reason too.

Dutch Islamists have refused to integrate into their host culture.

The test involves a film that the applicants have to watch.

The camera focuses on two gay men kissing in a park. Later, a topless woman emerges from the sea and walks onto a crowded beach. For would-be immigrants to the Netherlands, this film is a test of their readiness to participate in the liberal Dutch culture.

If they can't stomach it, no need to apply.

Despite whether they find the film offensive, applicants must buy a copy and watch it if they hope to pass the Netherlands' new entrance examination.

The test — the first of its kind in the world — became compulsory Wednesday, and was made available at 138 Dutch embassies.

I was wanting to get the address for the Human Rights Campaign who is one of the nation's largest gay and lesbian political organizations, and see if I could get a copy of the exam sent to them. They might really like living in the Netherlands since they don't like it when organizations such as Catholic Charities of Boston have to shut the doors to their adoption agency after 100 years of service.

They're closing the adoption agency because they refuse to denounce their Christian beliefs. Catholic Charities of Boston refuses to let homosexual couples adopt children through their agency.

The state of Massachusetts has forced Catholic Charities of Boston's hand... and I applaud them for sticking to their religious 'guns'.

I was hoping to get seven year old Autum Ashante's address too. She is really unhappy with her life here in the United States and really, really doesn't like white folks. She pretty much told everyone that with the public recitation of her poem.

But something tells me that she probably wouldn't even consider moving to the Netherlands...

Complaints from shocked students and parents led to a tape-recorded apology sent to all parents apologizing for the performance. Autum's father condemned white district officials as "racist crackers." Autum defended her poem by explaining to the Westchester Journal News that white people are "devils and they should be gone. We should be away from them and still be in Africa."

So I got to thinking that maybe we should start an "Autum goes to Africa Fund".

If we could get enough money together for an airplane ticket to Africa for her and her dad, maybe we could save the seven year old from her unhappy childhood here in the United States before it's too late...

Before she turns into a bitter and *hate-full* adult.

You know, the Dutch may really be on to something here.

If every country had a similar examination for their citizens, then we could require everyone in the world to take the exam for the country of their residence. If the test results didn't match up with where they were living, then a computer program would be able to select - through the results of their test - the best country for that person to live in.

Well... It's at least worth a try.

later...