Posted on 03/18/2008 1:57:10 PM PDT by mdittmar
The Hyphen, Webster's Dictionary defines, Is a symbol used to divide a compound word or a single word. So it seems to me that when a man calls himself An "Afro-American," a "Mexican-American," "Italian-American," An "Irish-American," "Jewish-American," What he's sayin' is, "I'm a divided American."
Well, we all came from other places, Different creeds and different races, To form a nation...to become as one, Yet look at the harm a line has done- A simple little line, and yet As divisive as a line can get. A crooked cross the Nazis flew, And the Russian hammer and sickle too- Time bombs in the lives of Man; But none of these could ever fan The fames of hatred faster than The Hyphen.
The Russian hammer built a wall That locks men's hearts from freedom's call. A crooked cross flew overhead Above twenty million tragic dead- Among them men from this great nation, Who died for freedom's preservation. A hyphen is a line that's small; It can be a bridge or be a wall. A bridge can save you lots of time; A wall you always have to climb. The road to liberty lies true. The Hyphen's use is up to you.
Used as a bridge, it can span All the differences of Man. Being free in mind and soul Should be our most important goal. If you use The Hyphen as a wall, You'll make your life mean...and small. An American is a special breed, Whose people came to her in need. They came to her that they might find A world where they'd have peace of mind. Where men are equal...and something more- Stand taller than they stood before.
So you be wise in your decision, And that little line won't cause division. Let's join hands with one another... For in this land, each man's your brother. United we stand...divided we fall. WE'RE AMERICANS...and that says it all.
“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American ... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag ... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”
Theodore Roosevelt 1907
Wonderful words of wisdom, unfortunately discounted by the politics of division.
What’s the source on that - I could not find that anywhere except G Gordan Liddy’s site?
Then again, I wouldn't take anything Marion Michael Morrisson said seriously either. Everything I needed to know about him I learned from "Repo Man." ;-)
Wise words from two great Americans.
...pilgrim.
Hyphened = Balkanization
read later
Same here. I’m American. My grandparents came here legally from Italy and Ireland. And they became American citizens.
My Dad used to get so ticked off when I’d ask (as a little kid) what I was (meaning more Italian or Irish) and he’d say You’re an American and nothing else. My Mom would then tell me I was half Italian and half Irish and all American. Never hyphenated :)
Bump
Note the light yellow areas on the map:
Note that in the purple areas of the South the next major ancestry is American. It seems most Americans live in the South.
Odd that Puerto Rico is 100% Puerto Rican.
Another map that shows just those who consider themselves to be of American ancestry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:American1346.gif
Bump
It’s scarey that an AFRICAN-AMERICAN is running for prez, of AMERICA.
Ok, you’re going to have to explain this one to me.
After a couple minutes looking at the map and thinking, maybe not.
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