The Hyphen that Destroyed a Nation
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
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“There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all.
The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality, than with the other citizens of the American Republic.
There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else.
For an American citizen to vote as a German-American, an Irish-American, or an English-American is to be a traitor to American Institutions; and those hyphenated Americans who terrorize American politicians by threats of foreign votes are engaged with treason to the American Republic.” … (Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, in a speech before the Knight’s of Columbus, October 12th, 1915.) (SOURCE)
As we see today, Teddy was absolutely right. We have become the very thing he warned we would become if we did not drop the hyphen – both mentally and physically. Indeed, we have “become a tangle of squabbling nationalities.”
Even President Woodrow Wilson regarded "hyphenated Americans" with suspicion, saying, "Any man who carries a hyphen about with him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic whenever he gets ready.” (SOURCE)
At no time is it more obvious than during an election cycle when the politicians begin their pathetic pandering to every hyphenated group of so-called Americans in the country… both legal and illegal.
Since Teddy made his remarks we have embraced the hyphen ad infinitum. Now we have: African American, Arab American, Asian American, European American, Latino American, Native American, Chinese American, English American, Filipino American, Greek American, German American, Irish American, Indian American, Italian American, Japanese American, Jewish American, Korean American, Mexican American, Norwegian American, Azerbaijani American, Polish American, Russian American, Spanish American, Swedish American, Ukrainian American, Vietnamese American, and the list just continues to grow.
America is more divided today that she was during The War Between the States. We each seem to have our own little tribe to which we belong. The once famed “American culture” no longer exists. We have submerged it in a sea of multiculturalism and it has become the victim of something called “diversity.” Both Multiculturalism and Diversity were begat by Political Correctness, which has its roots in Marxism. Yes, I am saying America is becoming a Marxist country. The evidence is overwhelming. For exhibit number one, look no farther than the current occupant of the Oval Office of the President of the United States.
We are drowning in a sea of hyphens!
Whatever happened to plain ole Americans? Only a cursory investigation will reveal that they have been relegated to the dusty corners of our society where they can speak of such things as loyalty to one’s nation, honor, patriotism, and worse, GOD! … and not offend the purveyors of political correctness -- the practitioners of Marxism.
The past few generations of Americans have been indoctrinated in our government schools so that they believe that multiculturalism and diversity are GOOD. These are the same government schools that replaced prayer with policeman, psychologists, chain link fences, and metal detectors.
What did we expect?
America is in such hopeless shape that we cannot manage to convince anyone capable of leadership to even stand for election. Instead, we republicans have this gaggle of second and third stringers who have done nothing but embarrass half of the GOP while the other half is praying to God that he provide a miracle and produce a leader (quickly) we can have, at least, SOME confidence in.
America has lost its identity. We no longer know who we are. This is the result of hyphens, multiculturalism, and diversity. Until we can reclaim our real identify -- and coalesce around that identity as one people -- we cannot hope to heal our nation.
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