Happy Independence day - Be American

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Happy Independence Day America!!

Since it is Independence day I must ponder the label of "American".

Why do people have to differentiate and divide themselves by their racial history? I find it irksome when people say they are "Mexican-American" or "African-American" or "Indo-American". To me that seems to divide us further. If you were born in this country you are an American, no matter where your parents or grandparents, etc were born or the color of your skin. I understand that people are proud of their heritage, but they are still "Americans".

If we all think of ourselves as Americans, we are all the same and maybe someday the racial divide will close, but to continue to separate does just that - separate us as a nation. Don't get me wrong. I don't believe we should all act the same, or look the same or even pretend to be the same. As Americans we should be equal and treated as such without the differentiating prefix. Didn't our ancestors fight the Revolutionary War so they didn't have to be "British American"? They simply wanted to be Americans.

I saw this quote today and had to put it in a blog as it rang true for me:

'The one being abhorrent to the powers above the earth and under them is the hyphenated American—the “German-American,” the “Irish-American," or the "native-American." Be Americans, pure and simple! If you don't act on the theory that every man who in good faith assumes the duties and responsibilities of an American citizen in a spirit of true Americanism is an American, and is to be treated as such, ...you are yourselves unfit to take part in managing our government and you are bound to make a failure if you try to better the condition of our cities." -Theodore Roosevelt, Before Liberal Club, Buffalo, N. Y., September 10, 1895

Now go forth and celebrate your patriotism by setting off some air polluting, noise polluting pyrotechnics made in China. Sorry, I never did understand the tradition and it scares the hell out of our cat.

-Au Revoir

"The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism.... It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn." - George Washington