Hyphenated America - How Politically Correct Is Destroying Our Nation - Part three - Divisionism

America became the greatest nation on earth because it was a mixture of the best of many an ethnicity. Now, the hyphen before the word American is more and more preventing that mix, that melting together that made us great. American was built on the blood, sweat and sacrifice of tens of thousands since before the name was even given. It was a dream in the hearts and mind's of the oppressed, the rejected, the sad, the lonely, and the lost who overcame and gave their lives so that we would all be free.

It is widely thought the very first people on America's soil were Asians who migrated over the Bering Strait land bridge which connected Asia and North America in ancient times. Many others arrived on this soil long before Columbus was even born. We have physical evidence the Vikings were here, not to mention a pit stop made by Americo Vespucio for whom our nation is named. Some now posit, with a certain amount of evidence, that the Phoenicians arrived here as well. Let us not forget that by the time of Vespucio or of Columbus many nations of what are now all lumped together as Native American tribes covered this land.

Of all the different peoples that came here, few got along with others they encountered. One could easily argue the Native American tribes were living here peacefully, as they had been for thousands of years, but that is only partially true. They allied with some tribes and warred with others. The Chickasaw were noted for having been extremely hostile and war minded. They are now extinct. Tribal beliefs, cultures, and systems of government varied greatly among the tribes but it should be noted that all had much more respect for the land than any since. It appears there has been fighting on this blood saturated soil since the first Homo Sapien Sapien stepped onto it.

By the time of the American Revolution, many had already made great sacrifices for the nation we know today. Ben Franklin, wise man that he was, saw that America was by and large a vast land of people who still identified themselves with whatever heritage they were born to or where ever their ancestors came from, not with the new land they were about to be asked to defend. He coined the term American in an effort to unite a nation.

Good ole Ben Franklin saw that unification was the only way we stood a chance. Did it at that time include all peoples? Sadly, no. It did not include women, or slaves, or the native tribes, or many others.

It was a move in the right direction. Ben’s idea of uniting us through a name we all could share worked, though it took generations for many groups to be included. Again though, it worked. Without it we never would have survived. America would not exist. Just imagine for a moment what the world would be like without the formation and survival of America. Possibly it would not be a place where freedom is enjoyed anywhere. Europe, perhaps the entire globe, might very well be under Nazi control.

_{"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."}

_{Ben Franklin}

The trend developed in the 1980's of a hyphen before what we are, i.e. American, is destroying the unity his idea bore. It is yet another source of division among us when we should be thinking more about what we have in common. We, all of us, are suffering under a government that is eating our freedoms daily like a ravenous beast, under the threat of economic collapse, under a machine of propaganda and politically correct programming that may very well be what defeats our great nation from within our own boundaries, and more importantly, our own minds.

This is a more sensitive approach to labeling to be sure, but is there a more insidious motive driving the evolution of such descriptive terms?

This hub shall endeavor to do the following...

• Examine how this specific politically correct terminology hurts us all both individually and collectively.
• Examine possible motives behind the evolution of such politically correct terms.
• Examine who benefits from the division caused by such politically correct terms being applied to Americans.

If I were to buy into the ideology of politically correct labeling, I would have to identify myself as a female, southern, Native American-French-Irish, vertically challenged, aging American. Good Lord, what a mouthful that is! Does the term really describe me, who I am as a person? No. It really doesn't. What it does is box me into some predefined categories. By allowing that to happen, I rob myself of so much more. I am an American. I am an amateur poet and writer. I am a free thinker. I am a rebel. I am a headbanger. I am a child of God. I am many, many things all rolled into one as are we all.

By allowing such hyphenated terms to be applied to us or by applying them to others we reduce what an individual is to the most basic observable characteristics. The book is judged by its cover without ever having been read.

Individually, such hyphenated labels distance us from the collective, from our fellow Americans. It alienates us all from each other. It is a constant reminder that we are different. Hyphenations are a subtle yet powerful mental message that we may be discriminated against at any given time. No one wants to be discriminated against. Being different is too often seen as being bad especially by younger people, contrary to what they say. If they really wanted to be seen as different they would not dress alike, bow down to peer pressure, and spend hundreds of dollars on the shoes they just have to have now or they will die!

Lastly, on an individual level, in all fairness, it does remind us of our heritage. The question I pose is do we really need that? I know I'm female. I know where I came from. How about those who do not know, the young? Do we really want them growing up always being labeled as this or that subgroup and not part of the larger family? What message does that send? Perhaps, forgive the expression, it's one of the red headed step child variety.

_{(Red haired step children everywhere I do not mean to offend you. I am not singling you out. I'm just trying to make a point. You too are humans and as such are as valuable as anyone else).}

Obviously, as covered, this hyphenation of Americans further promotes division among us. Not so obvious, perhaps, is that it instills a greater sense of fear. There exists the fear of discrimination and hate crimes, fear of not belonging, and fear of being singled out because of differences from another hyphenated group and so on to infinity. Fear, fear, fear, it's everywhere and it's getting worse. This hyphenation breeds an us against them mentality. When one stops to consider how many hyphenations are circulating about right now, the "us" can get very small indeed.

For example : I am, when hyphenated, a female-southern-Native American-French-Irish-vertically challenged-aging American. The first box I'm thrown into by the term is female. That's the us for me now. That damn hyphen just took my us from all down to just over half. The next box I'm now relegated to is Native American. Oh wow, I have really done it now. That's a pretty small percentage of the population. You get the idea. My group of us is steadily shrinking to the point that I'm feeling all alone just thinking about it!

Do we all go around consciously thinking about this craziness? No, of course not. Most of us are too busy working and trying just to get by in hard times. Does our subconscious mind register this, process it, and up our fear levels as a result? You bet your you know what it does. As fear increases so does a lack of tolerance for others, for ourselves, for all the annoying little things that happen every day. Ironic is it not that the terms that were supposedly to promote tolerance truly help decrease it?

Lastly, it further promotes a fear of speaking. How many of us walk around today biting our tongues afraid we might say the wrong thing? Can you honestly say you have not heard of anyone getting in some serious trouble in relation to this issue? Again, guys and gals, our subconscious mind remembers everything. Every time we hear of this it tells us, be careful! That could be you if you don't watch what you say, every second of every day for the rest of your life. Who needs that kind of pressure? Well now, dear reader, that is the million dollar question.

Corrupt politicians and leaders wanting to eradicate freedom need it.

• They benefit.
• Evil benefits.
• Oppression benefits.
• Those pushing for the New World Order benefit.

No one can argue the fact that over the last two decades Americans have lost a great many personal freedoms that were guaranteed under the Constitution. Through this PC ideology we have been collectively duped. We have been brainwashed to think of what might be hurtful before thinking of what is true. The atmosphere of fear and division we breathe has allowed for distraction above all else. Our leaders, on both sides, are aware of this. Look at the legislation passed just in the last four years. Take the health care reform often known as Obama-Care for instance. It was pitched to the public as a piece of legislation designed to help all Americans have access to health care. OK. That sounded good.

It was soon pointed out that many already had health insurance and would have to pay more for it under the new legislation. That led to the notion that those who had the means to afford it were better off than those who did not, i.e. the poor. Here we went again with the hyphenation, the us against them mentality on such a slow, PC level that we didn't even see it coming. Anyone who dared to criticize was labeled as someone who had no sympathy for the poor. Anyone pointing out that it took away our right to chose was judged as wanting to push little old ladies over a cliff. It's hard to stand up to that kind of pressure though there was not an ounce of truth in it. Again we see PC used as a tool that spawned the fear of speaking out.

Many in the medical field have pointed out, to their detriment, that this legislation will actually deny health care for huge numbers of the elderly, the disabled, the poor. They have pointed out that it will drive up the cost of health care. It will put further burdens on insurance companies who will then have to pass said financial burdens onto the people. Many in the financial and insurance sectors have pointed out that it will bankrupt the nation. The critics have been labeled as racist, uncaring monsters. Not many have the courage to speak up as a result. Thank God some still do though they are paying for it. We all are.

Next, we were so distracted by the us against them bull that most of us didn't take the time to read the legislation passed. Guys and gals, it was literally over hundreds of pages of dry legalese. Those in power know many can't and most won't wade through that much print. Do you really think it wasn't written that way on purpose with that in the forefront of the minds of those that wrote it? They know us. They know how we think and act and they use that to keep us at each others throats while they take steps daily that will end the free world.

At the same time that was going on, our so called leader was printing money like no one's business which further weakened the dollar at a time when we were facing economic doom. We still are. Anyone bothering to question that was called a racist. How dare you question? It must be because you are a racist since he knows best. If not labeled a racist, said questioner was labeled as rich. Notice, now rich and poor are hyphenated as well though this hyphen is invisible, only implied. The us against them mind set this ideology has bred is far from invisible and seen all over the country. If you haven't seen it, just look for articles on the Occupy Movement.

There was another us against them distraction, the Occupy Movement which used PC terminology in a new way. This one was truly clever on their part.

In conclusion, dear reader, you may not agree with me. That's Ok. Please, look around. See the world as it is. Think. Decide for yourself while you are still able. That right too is coming under attack and as such is also a topic for another day.

Will you mindlessly consume their platters of lies, propaganda swill?
It and the mentality it creates, the ongoing series from the poet's quill.

_{© Vix a.k.a. Rhonda Enrayne 12-31-11}

^{Disclaimer: This article is my opinion only.}

We in America have been too quiet for too long. We have been too distracted for too long. We have been divided for too long. I urge you, act now by flooding our officials with phone calls, mail, email... Make them repeal the laws they have passed restricting our freedoms. The Constitution worked. It was corrupt officials operating above and outside of it that did this. Act now. If you wait, it will be too late. The Occupy movement had one thing going for them, numbers. We can, through a shout so mighty as to be heard from sea to shining sea, demand our freedom, all of us... for we are America.

God bless America.

_{Disclaimer: This article is my opinion only. If you are keeping up with current events, you understand. My fellow politically minded Hubbers, I strongly suggest you start including the same.}