Politics and Insights from History

In a time when people claim to want unity, we seem to increasing divide ourselves in America I am not speaking of politics or religion. Most people can have differing viewpoints and still get along. The division I speak of is our modern tendency to hyphenate ourselves. Very few people regard themselves as just plain American.

Ask anyone to refer to a black man and they will say that he is an African-American. What makes him an African-American? Did he recently emigrate from Africa? What if that same man emigrated from England? Wouldn’t that make him a European-American? Must we assume that a man is African in origin just because he is black? How can any man, or woman, be African when he never set foot in Africa? The bigger question is: why is he not just an American? No one can be both African and American at the same time.

How many times have you applied for a job and the application asks for your race? When applying for college you are asked for your ethnicity. The 2010 census even wanted to know your racial origin. Race is more of an issue today in America than at any other time because we insist on dividing ourselves according to skin color. There was a time when individuals immigrated to America and adopted the American way of life. That is not to say that they did not keep some of the traditions from their home country. But, they did not force others to accept those traditions. Immigrants who came here adopted America and gladly took the title American, severing all ties with their home land. They made certain that their children were educated in American schools, teaching them to be Americans and to love their adoptive country. But all of that has changed.

Today many native born Americans shun their own country. They prefer to align themselves with other cultural identities. This trend has been fueled by progressives and the politically correct crowd. Our media, representatives, and popular culture encourages people to think of themselves as anything other than uniquely American. Instead we use terms such as, African-American, European-American, Chinese-American, Mexican-American, Native American (referring to American Indians), or Turkish-American, and the list goes on.

I am a Native American. Anyone born and raised in America, assuming their parents are American citizens, is a Native American. A native of any land or area is a person who is born and raised there. America is my home. I have spent my entire life in America. Why must my skin be of a certain color in order for me to be considered as such?

Our politically correct society has made us proud to be anything other than American. We celebrate black pride or Hispanic pride, but never American pride. Even our president finds it difficult to celebrate American holidays. (Have you noticed how on days that are important to Americans, President Obama is out of the country or on vacation?) Is being an American so shameful that we must shun it?

There are illegal immigrants all over the country who are proud to be illegal. They get all of the benefits of being an American, yet refuse to become Americans. In public schools, especially in California, bilingual classes are offered. Why? Because they have huge Hispanic population, most of whom are illegal. Instead of forcing the students to learn English and adopt the American way of life, we cater to them and enforce the idea that they do not need to integrate. Call any 800 number and you will have to press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, 3 for French, etc. Such measures breed division.

This tendency to segregate ourselves with hyphenated terms keeps us alienated. The saying, “Divided we fall” is very true. We must unite as Americans under the stars and stripes, proud of our country despite its flaws. Forsake the hyphenated terms and the notion that we must segregate ourselves according to race. Regardless or of our differences, we must stand together as Americans united in the belief that every individual has certain inalienable rights that come not from any mortal being or government, but from God.

7/26/2009

Dear Mr. President,

I want to thank you for doing in six months what many liberals failed to do in 70 years. You have successfully turned us into a socialist nation.   (note the sarcasm)

You rushed through the stimulus bill saying that it was imperative in order to stop the recession. You promised us jobs, a tax cut, and a decrease in the cost of living. You told us that the stimulus bill would do all these things. You told us that this bill would keep the unemployment rate from exceeding 8%. It now sits at 9.7% and is well on its way to being 10%. Where are all the jobs you promised us? And do not tell me about the teacher that was spared the pink slip or all of the state and federal jobs that exist to contend with the bureaucracy your bill created. Where are the jobs for the manual laborers? What about the small businesses that have closed their doors? Those are the jobs we need. It appears that the only people that have benefitted from this bill are state and federal employees. The number one beneficiary is the Federal Government.

You promised us fiscal responsibility. In the last six months where have you or your administration demonstrated fiscal responsibility? That Stimulus Bill cost $787 billion dollars. You had to borrow money from China to help pay for it. Clearly, the United States is bankrupt if you are borrowing money to pay for a bill that is supposed to stimulate the economy. How is that being fiscally responsible? What was in that 1,600 page bill? Did you even read it? I think not, considering you rushed it through during your first week as president. You promised no more pork, but how can a bill that it over a 1,000 pages long not have any pork?

In a recent address of yours, you said that the stimulus package was doing exactly what it was designed to do. I thought it was supposed to promote economic growth. Instead we are getting an economic collapse. So if your statement is true, then that means this bill was designed to destroy the economy, create unemployment, and bring fear to the American people.

And now you want us to accept your health care reform bill. You are adamant about getting it passed before the end of the year. Why the rush? What is in this bill that you do not want people to know about? Could it be that you know within a year’s time you will not have the majority you need to pass your agenda? This bill has the pungent smell of dead fish. It can’t be about reform. You are just expanding an already broken system and shoving everyone into it. We have already proven in this country that government run health care does not work. Medicare and Medicaid are two government run health care programs on a limited scale and they are both bankrupt. The people on these programs do not get the care they need because they have to wait for approval from the government.

Why are we following the model of Europe or even Canada when it comes to health care? Their government run systems are failing. People leave those countries and come to the United States for medical care. Are you so arrogant that you believe you can do it better? Are you so stupid that you refuse to learn from the mistakes of others? Do you truly care about the best interest of America, or are you only concerned about what helps Barack Obama? But most importantly, will be subject the very system that you want to put the American people on?

This health care reform bill is too conveniently timed. Most people without health insurance are unemployed. The unemployment rate is dangerously close to 10%. People are frightened that if something happened they won’t get to see a doctor much less be able to pay for it. And here you step in to save the day with another expansive government program. Very, very convenient.

And why so silent on Cap and Trade? I know the bill is being pushed through Congress. Please explain why we need to tax the hell out of businesses in order to offset global warming. The passage of this bill will prove disastrous for this country, especially since we are in a recession. Cap and Trade has never worked in the past in reducing carbon emissions. It did destroy businesses. You passed a stimulus bill to stimulate the economy. Now you want to pass Cap and Trade which is known for destroying the economy. Don’t the two cancel each other out?

Your foreign policy is no better than what you have done domestically. You routinely call America an arrogant nation. You insult your own country overseas mentioning it with disdain. Not once have you defended America. Do you hate your own country so much that you are incapable of talking about the very things that make America great? Not once have you mentioned what we have given the world. The United States feeds most of the world’s population. We are always there to help those that desire freedom from tyranny and oppression. We have defeated some of the worst tyrants in history for the sake of the world.

You are the President of the United States. It is your duty to protect and defend the American people. You have failed to perform such a task. When North Korea vowed to wipe the United States off the map, you said nothing. When Somali pirates took Americans hostage, you waited over a week to finally do something. It was only when people started asking questions that you finally sent in the Navy Seals to free the hostages. You won’t even address the atrocities that are happening in Iran. You have snubbed Israel, our only ally in the Middle East. Instead you shake hands and act all chummy with the likes of Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales, and Raul Castro. You derided the Honduran people for defending their country and constitution from a man who tried to declare himself a president for life. Why do you like dictators so much?

You promised us hope and change. Instead of change you brought us more of the same. Instead of hope we have despair. You lied to us, Mr. President. You sold us a bill of goods. You conned the American people into voting for you. You have demonstrated that you are unfit to be the President of the United States.

You are a sniveling little weasel. A man who slithered his way into the Oval Office on false promises and false hope. You have systematically taken over elements of this country that were once in the hands of the private sector, the people. You have systematically usurped the Constitution. You have betrayed the trust of the American people. You have betrayed the U.S. Constitution. You, Sir, are a traitor.

Signed,

Lady Liberty