The RNC has lost its mind and way.....

What is with the RNC?

The rest of the country is looking for ways to work together to fix this mess we're in and they are still out here acting like spoiled rednecks!

Barack the Magic Negro? Have a Very Spanglish Christmas?

A "We Hate America" CD sent out for Christmas?

Could a national group be anymore callous, ignorant, and kow-towish to the racist rednecks in this country?

My websites promote patriotism for our country. We encourage the use of "American" instead of hyphenated-American. We believe it does more harm than good to our country to be so ethno-centric and race conscious.

We do NOT support racism or ethnicism.

We do NOT think it is funny to pick on the different kids on the playgroud.

The RNC needs to grow the -uck up!

hyphenated Americans and blackamericaweb

To sevennotrump and all who think I am an Uncle Tom from the blackamericaweb.com website:

Puleeze!

Obama won the presidency because he - like most of the successful people in this country - did not stress his race or ethnicity. He focused on what we ALL have in common based on our ideologies, morals, values and beliefs...not a miniscule dominant gene in our DNA.

This is not selling out in no way shape or form.

Yes, I cried when PA. VA. and Florida results came in because each one was a significant step towards that magic 270 for my choice of President.
Yes, I know the struggles, pain and suffering of my older siblings, parents and their parents. Yes, I am fully aware of the racists living in MY state and every state of the union.

BUT, this does not make me less proud to be born in this country. This does not make me want to qualify my nationality with the continent of SOME of my ancestors. I am an American with African and European ancestry. So are most of you. Why CHOOSE which ancestral tree limb you attach to your birth nationality? Because some dumb redneck cop sees your race/ethnicity first means that is what you are? Puleeze! Since your great-great-grandfather was black, I guess that makes you black, too, huh? Sounds like the Jim Crow laws to me.

Your parents and mine fought to be recognized as AMERICANS first...all else second.

This is our country. Obama is the President-elect of the United States of America...not just the blacks.

I am sincere in this post and all posts I make across the web. I love who I am, who my ancestors were, where they have come from and their triumph over all the obstacles thrown in the way.

I believe they want their descendants to be Americans first....black or brown or white or whatever second.

This country is about dreams. People come to this country to fulfill their dreams and - although some of our ancestors were forced here - this country has once again shown itself to be a place where dreams DO come true.

All I am trying to stress here is that WE need to start pointing out the greatness of our country sometimes instead of hypeing on the bad.

And, just because you do not agree with my position and we are the same ethnicity does NOT make ME wrong or naive or blind or whatever.

I may live in a different world than you but that MAY be because I SEE a different world than you. I know racism is all around. I know sexism is all around. I CHOOSE to see the good and fair people and they are all around, too.

The racist acts are exceptions to the rule now. We all go day to day without ever being exposed o this ignorance even here in Georgia.

I want to remove the power from the racists and their racist words.

How else to do this than to put the focus on the criminal act and not the race of the victim. When all Americans feel they could be victims of that crime, Americans react. We do ourselves a disservice by making all things racial racist.

Once again, don't question my blackness because I promote a different way of labeling ourselves. You have only been an "African-American" for twenty years. Before that you were black, afro-american, negro, etc. What was wrong wih being American blacks? What election was held where we all decided to change our label? I want a recount.

I say we have ALWAYS been Americans and that's what I prefer to be called.

Anyone who tosses "uncle tom" and other silly "think he's white" types of insults at me is just showing their foolishness and lack of intelligence.

Disagree if you will...but debate the usage of the label....not the messenger.

AND, I assure you all, Obama will eventually point out this same hyphenation-foolishness during his term.

Been gone awhile!!!!

Hey you all...I've been out of the loop for a minute...kinda still recovering from the Obama victory....Yes, I am an Obama supporter and have been since his 2004 DNC speech.

But, I am back so I hope you all are prepared to hear some more of my rants!!!!!

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.....

Obama's DNC Speech

Wow!

Yesterday, if I had to describe my ideal candidate to run for President, it woul'ved be one of two people.....Barack Obama.....or me.

Man, I am so glad he took on the task.....I don't think I am qualified anymore!!!!

Does the institutionalized usage of hyphenated-nationalities help, hurt, or distract a country from more pertinent issues?

America is a country of immigrants. America is a country of nothing but immigrants.

One side of the American street prides itself on not seeing the person as a combination of ancestral ethnicities but, instead, each individual becomes a culmination of their life experiences.

The other side of the American street takes pride in the achievements of their ancestors and believe their ancestor’s struggles, sacrifices and oppressions are intrinsic to who they are and how America treats/sees them.

This boulevard of contrasting views pervades most aspects of American social laws and policies. Almost every social issue faced by our judicial and/or legislative bodies, on national, state and local levels, have an ethnic/racial purpose or impact and we spend inordinate amounts of time debating, protesting, defending, and balancing these facets.

There is the beginnings of a new movement within our country to re-think the use of ethnic qualifiers to the American nationality. African-American, Hispanic-American, or your-ethnicity-goes-here-DASH-American is of questionable benefit to the nation’s social fabric and, debatably of course, does more harm to national unity than good. This same debate was part of the nation’s conversation at the turn of the 20th century when it was the German-Americans, Irish-Americans, and Polish-Americans that qualified their nationality.

In many aspects, where America goes, so goes the world. Before any other country steps into this pit of social identities, there are some questions the people of that country should ponder:

1. Are institutionalized hyphenated-nationalities good for a country’s unity and socio-mentality or is it an institutionalized contradiction to the term “nationality”?

2. Can you belong to more than one country and, if so, what happens when the two countries have conflicting policies?

3. Can you maintain the cultures and customs of your ancestral homelands while still assimilating fully into your birth country?

4. Does the use of hyphenated-nationalities proclaim an aversion to the idea of assimilation?

5. Is the use of the hyphenated qualification a two edged sword that cuts both ways? In other words, can you expect your country to treat you different because of your hyphenation but treat you the same despite your hyphenation?

Non-Americans and Americans are the only two labels for this country...

Connotations of words change with society and - likewise - society's use of words changes with the connotations.

The dash-American label's usage comes in waves just like the immigrants who use them. The current wave encompasses ethnic/racial minorities in America.

The use of the dash is a way of fighting back at a society that - the user believes - does not fully accept the dasher as a full member. Whether because of real racism or perceived racism, the dasher feels like a red-headed step-child to the nation. The inclusion of the dash - whether subconsciously or consciously - is a means of declaring one's independence and pride or self-worth.

What I believe is missed in the dasher's mindset is that society will change its view of you when you don't allow this step-child attitude to be applied to you. If someone infers you are not a full America because your ancestors did not come from a certain continent or during a certain timeframe, you fight back by declaring their inference wrong and contradictory to the laws of the land. If you were born here - regardless of how your ancestors came here or even if they came here illegally - YOU ARE AN AMERICAN.

Anyone challenging this status needs to check their OWN mindset and, while they are at it, the Constitution of the United States of America.

I believe the way to stop profiling, racism, discrimination and such, is to FIRST remove the qualified labels we adorn.

I am not African-American, African-European-American, African-European-Native-American....I am an American.

If you doubt what I am saying, check my birth certificate.

If you include the dashes in your nationality, you need to check YOUR birth certificate, also.

It is not about pride in one's ancestors...it is about pride in one's self. You are a citizen of this country - usually only this country - and you have an obligation and responsibility to contribute to the success of this country.

You can choose to enjoy the ride while you can benefit from the mood of society but you have to be prepared to lose that ride when society's mood changes. A basic tenet of this nation is that of individual's rights and responsibilities. If you fail, it is not the country that failed you, it is YOU that failed you.

All this does not justify racist behavior towards ANYONE or BY anyone.

The history of this country, with its accomplishments and failures, does not justify burdening its future by re-hashing history over and over again. The future of this country is dependent on putting to rest - sincerely and non-combatively, the truths of our country's mistakes and how some people have benefitted on the backs of others both directly and indirectly.

My words are intentionally contradictory because that is the situation we are now in. Both sides of the argument are correct...America has fought against including the minority-du-jour in its fabric AND Americans have fought TO include minorities. Minorities have fought to be included AND minorities fight to be seen as distinct threads within the fabric.

If you expect the American fabric to be admired and loved, it is ALL the threads of the fabric that make it what it is.

If you expect to be treated as a thread in the American fabric, you have to understand that the thread - by itself - is not as beautiful when it is on the spool as much as when it has been woven into the fabric.

America has checked itself by re-enforcing a clarification of the tenets of our basic documents.
All PEOPLE are created equal...anyone born here is an American...all AMERICANS are entitled to basic rights and equal protection under the law.

Americans need to check ourselves to make sure we act like what the citizens of America are SUPPOSED to act like.

If you are in a position of power and you do not see all Americans as having the same rights, YOU are the non-American.

If you are not doing your part to contribute to the success of this country, YOU are the non-American.

There are only two valid American labels...American and NON-American.

As found on I-Report....by me!!!!

First, let me make one thing clear to everyone.

I have no shame in any of my ancestry. African, European, or Native.

I believe they all contributed to the world I now live in.

I believe they all are a part of me....genetically speaking. Beyond physical traits, there is nothing in me, however, that has its basis uniquely because my grandmother was Native American. Same for my European great-grandfather and my African grandfather.

WHO I am is a direct result of when I was born, where I was raised, the environment I was raised in and , most importantly, the lessons I was taught while being raised by my parents. They did not teach me the African or European way of approaching problems. They did not teach me an African or European set of morals or values. They did not dwell on our past. They dwelled on our future.

It sounds nice and cozy to talk about heritage and ancestors and their impact on our self-identity. In some countries and cultures, that is more applicable.

America is different.

America is a country where everyone that came here LEFT somewhere. They left somewhere to start a new life in a new "world" - voluntarily or forced. They may have brought their culture with them INITIALLY, but each generation reduced that inherited culture more and more to the point where , eventually, that culture is just the celebration of a holiday or a certain meal here and an ancestral name passed down to a child there.

While one celebrates their ancestry and ethnicity, what about the here and now?

One hundred years from now, YOU will be the ethnic ancestor of your great-great-great-great-grandchildren. Will they still call themselves ethnic-dash-Americans? How many more ethnic groups will they have been mixed with 100 years from now? Just how many dashes do we get to use in describing ourselves? What makes you so sure YOUR ethnic group will not be one of the ones dropped like many of us have downplayed/dropped our "other" ethnicities? Why wait a hundred years?

The point of being in America is to be an American. We are creating a new culture and a new ethnicity as we live and breathe. I say we should embrace our task and work dilligently to pull the best of all our ancestral cultures and make a unique culture that - one hundred years from now - will be identified as an American ethnicity.

What is so wrong with that? How is this shame against my ancestors?

Every immigrant to every country 100 years or more ago faced these same tasks.

Poland did not have the culture it has now until the immigrants to that country made a Polish culture. I am sure Polish culture can be dissected to be a mixture of this country and that country.

The same for Germany, Ireland, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Irag, Iran, Saudi Arabia, England, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan, China, Figi and Russia. The same will be true when mankind colonizes the Moon, Mars, or some other planet.

I will say this again with all due respect for my ancestors and my contemporaries...The dominant genes in my DNA may control how I look and what I "am" but they have NOTHING to do with WHO I am. WHO I am is what I have control over.

I want my descendants to be proud of WHAT I did to contribute to their lives, their country, and their world.

I don't care if they forget where my great-great-great-grandparent was born. If you really checked, I think you will find that you have no idea where YOUR great-great-great-grandparent was born either. You assume, because of your physical traits, that they were born on the continent of Africa.

What if you check your DNA and find that most of your ancestry is from Poland?

Will you then change your dash?

Race discussions on Ireport...

At www.dropthedash.com there are pages and pages of comments from people black, white, brown and other, who agree with the dropthedash campaign.

We all know what America was...how many of us are willing to work on what America will BE for our kids?

It will take people on all sides of the fence to acknowledge what was done wrong, what is being done wrong and what needs to be done right for our country to move past this silly racism and "who's more racist" squabbling between Americans. We will not fix the past except by making sure our children don't have to repeat it.

How to do this? it is NOT by bickering about it for another 100 years!

You fix disproportionate representation in prisons and unemployment by making our kids stay home and study each evening instead of hanging out on the block. Education, morality, and value-based child rearing fixes or prevents most problems.

This is not racial.

Black, white, red, and brown people raise their children every generation with no bad experiences with the law or within the court system. Keep your kids within your sight AND site and you can prevent most situations from happening to them.

Focus on your child's life instead of your own.

Raise by example.

Don't let your children hear your adult conversations unless you would be comfortable with them having the same conversations with their friends.

This is common sense stuff people.

Your children will naturally be exposed to bad things in this country and/or the world. You need to make sure they are more influenced by you than them. Teach them how to make good decisions based on doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. Teach them to not expect anything from the government or other people and they will always be able to pick themselves up whenever they fall. Teach them that every "ism" in this country is just another obstacle to go over, around, or through. Nothing is insurmountable as long as you believe in yourself.

All these "truths" were taught to me and my six siblings as we grew up. My parents lived through Jim Crow and suffered at the hands of racists and institutionalized racism. Yet, they chose to teach us those lessons listed above instead of hatred. They never encouraged us to blame anything on anything or anyone. They taught us to get our education because that's the one thing NO ONE will ever be able to take from us.

We all were raised on a farm on a dirt road in rural Georgia and we all now are successful professionals in varied disciplines....Information Technology, Education, Nuclear Engineering, HealthCare and Child Protective Services.

www.dropthedash.com is a site dedicated to promoting the discarding of ethnic qualifiers to our nationality.

Hyphenated Americans have chosen to be a separate group within America and that - in and of itself - is contradictory to being American.

Our ancestors did not fight, march, and die for their descendants to be part-Americans...they suffered and sacrificed for your American birthright to be accepted and recognized by your own country. America will never get rid of all individual acts of racism, sexism or any other "ism".

The "isms" are no longer institutionalized. The "isms" are no longer protected by un-equal laws. The "isms" are not practiced by the majority of Americans anymore. This as close as we will ever come to a level playing field and - truth be told - it is all America owes us.

Any further advancement of black people will be accomplished by each individual black person...or brown person...or white person...etc., etc., etc