Staying Home to watch the Inaguration?

I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but this needs to be said.

I've heard it said that Obama has made history by being elected as the first African-American President in the history of the United States. I do know what they mean, and it is a valid point. However...... I'd like to propose something else:

Barak Obama is not the first African-American President of the United States.

Before you get angry about that, read on and see why.

For many many years we have heard about African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Italian-Americans, Jewish-Americans, etc., ad nauseum. While it is true that all these terms have American as the root, they still emphasize differences. "I am an African-American. You are not." I am an American. Period. This is not a country of people who are united by blood, religious beliefs, race, or any of that. This is a country where we are united by a shared belief that we are all equal, and deserve to live in freedom. We are Americans, and nothing but Americans.

If you choose to celebrate your heritage, great, I'm all for it. But you are not a part of any hyphenated group in this country, you are an American. I am an American. We are all together.

These hyphenated terms need to be dumped on the trash-pile of history and we all need to move forward as Americans, united by our one common cause, not divided by our differences that brought these hyphenated terms into play in the first place!

Eventually as folks die off... there will be an increased dulution and more and more citizens will seem themselves as SOLELY American. But, there will still be those that will use the hypenated terms.

I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but this needs to be said.

I've heard it said that Obama has made history by being elected as the first African-American President in the history of the United States. I do know what they mean, and it is a valid point. However...... I'd like to propose something else:

Barak Obama is not the first African-American President of the United States.

Before you get angry about that, read on and see why.

For many many years we have heard about African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Italian-Americans, Jewish-Americans, etc., ad nauseum. While it is true that all these terms have American as the root, they still emphasize differences. "I am an African-American. You are not." I am an American. Period. This is not a country of people who are united by blood, religious beliefs, race, or any of that. This is a country where we are united by a shared belief that we are all equal, and deserve to live in freedom. We are Americans, and nothing but Americans.

If you choose to celebrate your heritage, great, I'm all for it. But you are not a part of any hyphenated group in this country, you are an American. I am an American. We are all together.

These hyphenated terms need to be dumped on the trash-pile of history and we all need to move forward as Americans, united by our one common cause, not divided by our differences that brought these hyphenated terms into play in the first place!

/me applauds - I agree that labels serve to divide. Further, how is he African? Because his ancestors were? By that light, I am Italian-French-African-Cuban and Naturalized American - nah- I think I'll stick with Citizen and be done with it.

My husband works with a real, honest to goodness, African-American - a white guy born in Africa and Naturalized American Citizen... wonder what he calls himself?

We do need to see more beyond labels - and just see people.

Sorry Amara...In this case...his father is Kenyan.

What about Mustelid-Americans?

No i get that- I do. I am just making a general statement really. More about the separation that the labels make evident. I guess we call him African-American - but as President- I think he should be the first to cast off labels and - just be American.

Another fuzzy-wuzzy

These hyphenated terms need to be dumped on the trash-pile of history and we all need to move forward as Americans, united by our one common cause, not divided by our differences that brought these hyphenated terms into play in the first place!

/me winces. I know you probably intended that with the meaning of 'another blurry word' but here in the UK that expression... uh... well, read for yourself:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fuzzy%20wuzzy

(Those browsing from work will probably find that page blocked. Consider it NSFW.)

/me winces. I know you probably intended that with the meaning of 'another blurry word' but here in the UK that expression... uh... well, read for yourself:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fuzzy%20wuzzy

(Those browsing from work will probably find that page blocked. Consider it NSFW.)

Another fuzzy-wuzzy

It's funny how so many who are saying "We must support because he is the President" are the same who wouldn't urinate on his predecessor if he were on fire. It's all the same game. I'm not playing it anymore. A pox on all of them.

I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, "Well, I hope he succeeds. We've got to give him a chance." Why? They didn't give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated the search-and-destroy mission had begun.

No i get that- I do. I am just making a general statement really. More about the separation that the labels make evident. I guess we call him African-American - but as President- I think he should be the first to cast off labels and - just be American.

At least Obama did mention 'non-believers'.

Edited to add that i have been now informed this is a racial slurl in England. It was meant completely and only to refer to Mr. Stonecutter's ferret comment and not intended to denigrate people of any sort, nationality, creed, orientation or what ever i may have missed! My apologies if anyone took offense.

I hope he wasn't stupid enough to characterize non-theists as non-believers. Theists have as many things they choose to not believe in as non-theists. Those that choose to believe in the acceptable forms of the supernatural also have no monopoly on belief either.

I cried. It was a great speech, and he has the potential to be a great man.

While I applaud you for bringing up that point. At lot of citizens are still alive that only lived with the reguritation of them being a subgroup of America. With the advent of internet and other immediate forms of communication that recent generations have enjoyed, there is a segment of society that haven't.

For them, this is possibly affirmation even if you feel it is a subgroup of American. For those generations they need it. As these folks die off, they will be sorely missed because they are an active link of the past for all its shortcomings. You see now, references to how people endured the depression.

My aunt and her sister (my grandmother) could not sit in the same theater next to each other. My grandmother "passed" (look it up if you don't what it means) and my aunt didn't. Or they will let my dad "ride" the streetcar because he "passed" but my aunt couldn't. I am BLESSED that I have relatives still alive from that generation. My aunt Polly who had a BF well into her 90's and defined why you should quit him when you that old.

Eventually as folks die off... there will be an increased dulution and more and more citizens will seem themselves as SOLELY American. But, there will still be those that will use the hypenated terms.