more thoughts on hyphenated American labels....

The purpose of the Drop the Dash campaign is to get us to all THINK about what our usage of the hyphenation implies.....good and bad.

For some people, it will not matter what bad inferences are made by other people about their dash. They use it for their reasons - however weak or strong the reason may be.

For others, it will enlighten them to why some people treat them the way they do and they will choose to stop using the dash. Usually, these people were using it just because everyone else was. They still have pride in their heritage....they just understand you can separate ethnic pride from birth nationality without having to qualify one.

For still others, it will re-enforce their reasons for NEVER using the dash and let them know there are many other ethnic Americans that choose to remain dashless, also.

Freedoms are not all without consequences.

We have the freedom to be racists, bigoted, sexist, etc. as long as we do not violate employment or housing laws. Society, however, has decided that these "freedoms" are not to be considered virtues and they are actually looked down on by most of us. But, they are still your choice.

The same can be said for intolerance, selfishness, and a host of other personality traits.

"Drop the Dash" is trying to get us to all be conscious of what a qualification to one's birth nationality says to the others in that nation.

It says you want to be seen as different from the rest of us even while you try to tell us you are not to be treated differently.

It says you want everyone to acknowledge your pride in your ancestors - arguably - at the expense of your birth nationality.

Many people have stressed their intent behind the dash was singularly focused...."to show pride in their heritage"...with no intent or belief that by qualifying their nationality, they reduce their pride in their birth country.

Many other people stress that they have pride in their heritage and they do not need to qualify their nationality to show it. They - like me - are more focused on where they are going instead of from where their ancestors came.

If I - personally - had moved here from another country, I would still claim that country as my nationality until I became a naturalized American. Then I would probably qualify my nationality with a dash.

But, I would still encourage my children born here to not use the dash. Why? Because I would've moved here for a reason....and that reason would have been to become an American.

Why would I want my children to qualify it? IMHO.....