It seems to be a time for Americans to try and be a family again. Maybe a quarrelsome and
restless family not entirely happy with each member all of the time, but a family
nonetheless.
OK, I admit it. I am confused and perplexed by the storm of political correctness
sweeping throughout the nation, raising dust-devils and tempests; leaving destruction and
chaos in its wake.
The English language is being transmogrified to quell and satisfy members of the American
society who feel they should somehow, be special; apart from our citizenry. Thus my
confusion.
I've been called a privileged white-boy by some, honky by others, and cracker by others
still. All this because I grew up in a middle class family in Toledo, Ohio? I've never
considered myself to be anything special, certainly never superior to anyone or anything
by virtue of my ancestry, just your basic, run-of-the-mill guy who wants to do the right
thing.
From the time I was little boy, I have seen one particular group called colored, Negro,
black, and now, African-American. I can't seem to find a consensus out there in any
media, one moment the reference is to blacks, and the next to African-Americans, when
they are referring to the same group of people.
I'm not knocking what people want to call themselves, it's the mixed messages I'm getting
and the inaccuracy of the terminology that frustrates me.
Look around and you will see there is the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, the Black Muslims, and African-Americans.
All of these terms are used to refer to members of one group of people. Is it any wonder
I'm confused?
I have particular problems with the term African-American, a misnomer which would lead
me to believe these people somehow hold dual citizenship with another country, or even
worse, lead everyone to believe all those who use that term to describe themselves are of
African origin and are exclusively black in color.
As we all know, there are white Africans, too. Should they choose to come to the U.S.,
they too, would be eligible for the label African-American, which would further confuse
the issue.
Enter the U.S. Census Bureau.
Rather than help clear up the mess, they perpetuate it by requesting racial information
and make-up of families that does nothing more than perpetuate the lies we tell one
another. At least with the Census Bureau, their are Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Native
Americans, Other, and Whites. I don't know about you folks but, I was born here in the
U.S., so logically, I'm as native an American as one can get.
Why do we continue to confound ourselves with inaccurate and self-serving terms? Why
perpetuate lies? Either we are Americans first and foremost, or we aren't.
There really is an easy solution to this whole problem, those of us born within the
boundaries of the United States are Americans, period. Should we choose to identify
ourselves as being Americans of a given ancestry, wouldn't that serve the purpose?
Those who have emigrated from other countries should continue to refer to themselves as
natives of that country until such time they choose to become naturalized citizens of the
U.S. Then, they too, are Americans.
Separating ourselves into groups and isolated pockets of society will only serve one
purpose, it will allow others to divide and conquer us all that much easier.
There was a time that we were all considered American, we had a common goal and destiny
to fulfill. We had a message to share with the rest of the world ? that of hope for a
tomorrow that would be better for all of us if we would just put aside our differences
and work toward a common goal: Peace in our time ? for all time.
Have we achieved that goal? No, not by a long shot. But we have made significant steps in
the right direction.
For every step of progress we make toward that end, I think we slide further back by
accentuating our differences rather than focusing on our similarities.
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