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Chatterbox: Just us

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All Chattereaders know I’m a sap for all things about this nation that are, or were once, good and considered to be our great strength. Americans are a single people, nonspecifically and none in particular. We are a blended nationality unlike any other on the planet. This makes us who we are: a unique citizenry in the world: E pluribus unum – from many, one.

Every other country has a people specific to that land. We are, however, a nationality made up of Americanized versions of the world’s nationalities, as well as combo packs of innumerable mixes of all nationalities. That’s what Americans are. We’re everything, anything, and, often, nothing singularly specific.

We’ve talked about what Americans enjoy on a daily basis due to this uniqueness. We can eat burritos with egg rolls, pasta primavera after an appetizer of humus and pita bread, and finish up with a dunkelbier and crème brulee if we wish. America has long benefited not only from the culinary art and cultural traditions of its immigrant population but from their great creativity and intellect as well. We are a smorgasbord of the accomplishments of specific histories.

Last week, we mentioned that few of us, if any, would be willing to sacrifice the perks our mixed cultures have brought to our life on the daily. These are not just what we eat, but all that has affected our life, traditions, freedoms, opinions, and accomplishments in every arena, medical to media.

The current political climate of division in America was calculated, cultivated, and intentionally implemented, and is a set-back for every American. It’s the successful scheme of those powerful, public figures who wish to tighten their chokehold on privilege and wealth for themselves by weakening the citizens who, if unified, could ruin that plan. We’re more easily sidelined and subjugated if crippled by our inability to embrace each other, unable to be a unified democracy, a people’s government.

Our diversity enhances our power, bringing wide-range experience to the table. When any foe dealt with America, it dealt with the unbridled force that was the best of what so many nations had to offer. That force was the brew of our blended nationalities and that of our indigenous people.

In this power struggle between our governing forces, we are not only losing the beauty that was our blended people but its power, strength, productivity and the joy that once was “the American person.” That identity was our unity and our political pull.

Take a moment to look at how Lego blocks are made. Huge construction blocks on major projects are made the same way. There are nodules on top and indentations to fit those nodules on the bottom. They’re stronger that way. They stay together even without mortar. Look at the corners of any well made drawer. They are dovetailed. They, too, are stronger that way. Things with differences stick together better because they create a more intricate bond. That was once us. It should be us again.

There’s a poignant and powerful song by Neil Sedaka, a second generation American. Go to YouTube and listen to it. Anyone who doesn’t get misty-eyed may not bleed as red, white and truly American as they think they do. It’s called “The Immigrant.” It includes lines like, “harbors opened their arms to the young, searching foreigner, come to live in the light ... of liberty; people were waiting in line for a place; he arrives with his hopes and his heart set on miracles; with a hand full of promises, to find they don’t want him anymore; … he remembers he once heard a legend that spoke of a mystical magical land called America.”

Who are we now? Just those who got in under the wire? It makes the American pool much shallower; that’s not a good thing.

America, we’ve done a lot of crazy things, difficult, good, even harsh things and we didn’t do any of it to not benefit as a unified nation and one collective people, regardless of who got here and when. If the revolutionaries wanted that, even we wouldn’t be here.

The song goes on: “Boats carried the future to ... America; when strangers were welcome here.” Many came and did bring the future of this nation with them. Most gave their all to this land for their dreams… including our ancestors and us. Let’s not waste that.


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