2003 Soap Box Archives

Just Americans 08/15/03

My great great grandfather on the maternal side of my family
came to the U.S.A. from Ireland and was killed on the Cape Fear River
when the boiler on the riverboat he worked on blew up. His remains
were buried somewhere along the river and his family never knew where.

My great grandfather on my dad’s side of the family fought in the Civil
War. I don’t know where the Daniels’ side of the family came to
America from. I suspect either Scotland or Ireland but I can’t say for
sure.

But when you get right down to it, what difference does it make?
When my ancestors came over here it was to become a part of what was to
become the greatest nation the world has ever known. They wanted to be
Americans.

That’s what we all are, wherever our forbearers came from.
Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame anybody for being proud of their
heritage, I wish I knew a little more about mine.

But why do we have to segregate ourselves into groups of Mexican
Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans and so
on? Aren’t we all just Americans, regardless of the color, creed or
the location of our ancestral homes?

Martin Luther King said it so well, that he wanted people to be judged
by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

I know that it’s just semantics but I believe that singling out groups
of people and putting a name on them has a divisive effect. America is
the great melting pot where people from all races have come together to
have a better life and whether you were born here or have become a
naturalized citizen you are an American with all the rights and
privileges that go along with it.

There is also a certain amount of condescension in putting people into
groups.

This country has been made what it is through the efforts of people of
many races. Their contributions to commerce, sports, the arts and just
plain old hard work has made America the envy of the planet earth.

There are people out there who don’t want us to become a homogenous
society. They derive their power from driving a wedge between the
races. They use class envy and play the race card constantly.

Isn’t it time that we put aside the labels and look at all people the
same? Isn’t it time we put aside the political correctness and looked
at ourselves as just plain old Americans?

Pray for our troops.

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels

 

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