Gary Younge: "Who Are We - And Should It Matter in the Twenty-First Century?" (Rebroadcast)

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-08-28/gary-younge-who-are-we-and-should-it-matter-twenty-first-century-rebroadcast
Gary Younge: "Who Are We - And Should It Matter in the Twenty-First Century?" (Rebroadcast)

Americans are obsessed with identity -- from our ethnic roots to gay marriage to the President's birth certificate. Identity often determines whom we elect to public office; informs the choices we make to stay safe; and figures in the decision to go to war. A look at how we identify ourselves and why it matters.

In this new century, identity is at the heart of the most pressing and often violent issues of the day. In the U. S. and abroad, people often retreat into the refuges of religion, nationality, class, and race. It can be seen in the wave of social unrest that spread across England. Or in Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi’s description of undocumented workers as an “army of evil.” And seventy percent of Oklahomans voted to ban the introduction of Sharia law, though only a small portion of residents are Muslim. One journalist urges us to search for common, higher ground. He warns that if we fail, our society may become more divided than ever before. Diane and her guest talk about why identity matters.

Guests

Gary Younge

columnist for the "Guardian" and "The Nation, and author of "Stranger in a Strange Land" and "No Place Like Home."

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Who Are We-And Should It Matter in the 21st Century?

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