Harvey I agree with part of the statement, "You can't choose your race, but your culture and your religion are your choices and yours alone."

I don't think you can choose culture. You may adopt a new one but there will always be parts of the original culture that will stay with you (and so it should). Culture is not so easily shed. Culture includes your 'mother tongue' and the values and beliefs that are transmitted from one generation to another. It usually takes a couple of generations to rid yourself of the culture you were born into.

It is not easy to assimilate into another culture. For one thing, they might not want you.

Culture is not really a choice. In other words, religion is the only real choice you have. Sometimes thats not even an option (especially for children).

If we wish to live in peace, we must learn to tolerate differences and remember that there are far more similarities.

As far as gangs go - the best way to survive if you are uneducated and poor is the black market. Its not really about race, religion or culture. Its about controlling territory and the lucrative profits to be made from the misery of others. Given education and social status, these gangsters would probably be white collar criminals. Criminals are criminals regardless of race, religion or culture.

Hate crimes are committed against an individual(s) because they belong to an easly identifiable group. Hate is hate. If you are in a position of power, you have a responsibility to refrain from inciting hatred. You are, however, free to think what you want. You are not free to use your power to influence others to hate.

Your freedom ends where another persons freedom begins. We must learn to solve our problems by learning from one another. Hate is just a wall of evil.