What’s wrong with American?

First we had this or that ethnic or racial group identified as a hyphenated American. Now, we have, for example, all whether here legally or for generations or illegally from any Spanish speaking country called Latinos or Hispanics.

We had this or that political leaning or particular partisan position identified, particularly to distinguish it from the quite different European heritage of these terms, as WASP or Main Street or Southern or Western or worker. All clearly American. Now, we have capitalized Liberal or Conservative, with only electoral counting taking regard for Independent, but little mention of the specifically American context. Blue state and Red state, grouping all within a boundary, is another layer of removal from the reality of the mix of positions and intensities and the differences from area to area or group to group or individual to individual.

The partisans delight in either calling each other, or anyone whose specific view on an issue, a Liberal or Conservative, or pejoratively a RINO or DINO, rather than respect that a thinking and honest person is not a label nor a party platform.

What has been relegated, far too much, in our public discourse and our private relations and listening is that we are all Americans. We are here, today or our forefathers and mothers, because we are individuals who refused to be grouped and treated as cogs in someone else’s machinations, but rather insisted on being considered and rewarded for what we are and contribute. That’s Americans.

An essential part of that is mutual respect for differences, and civil discourse among us to reconcile natural differences.

It’s only those who, outside of outright treason, do not engage in civil discourse who might be considered at odds with being American. Otherwise, we need to listen to each other more, with respect and civility, and reclaim the name of Americans, and quit the divisive and inappropriately divisive other hyphenations and labels.