dionysius wrote: 
When my family came over, they were called "greenhorns." Italians were called WOPs, Irish were called Micks. They were poor, spoke different languages, and had to take the lowest, dirtiest jobs in order to give their family the American dream. I would call them Americans. My granparents grew up in Russia/Poland, but they would never identify themselves with either one of those ethnicities, because of the poor relations they had with each other.

But we are all the same inside, we all have the same aspirations and dreams for our our children. Maybe we need to move past the tribal references, since we are certainly a global nation.

 hippiechick wrote: 

It's an interesting question, I think. What does "American" mean? To me, it is obviously not an ethnicity, nor a language. An American is one who loves and tries to live by the ideals set out in the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Jefferson's and Madison's words may be translated into Spanish or Vietnamese and lose nothing of their cogency. Get ready for changing demographics—the USA of the future will have blacks, hispanics and Asians outnumbering European Americans before the middle of this century. So what. They can be and are just as American as anyone whose ancestors stepped on Plymouth Rock, or even those whose very distant ancestors came over the Bering Strait during the last ice age. American = WASP is over, dead and done. American = human being with great aspirations has just begun.

 dionysius wrote: 
It's all about "fear of the other"

 kurtster wrote:
How is insisting that everyone stop hyphenating, speak "proper" English, and generally assimilate to a white Anglo Protestant point of view NOT racist, again?

So what consitutes an "American" anyway? Someone whose ancestors came from Europe? Think carefully before you answer.

 jadewahoo wrote: 

I make the distinction between ethnicity and religious backgrounds.  While being Mexican (for example) is an ethnic reference, Muslim, to me at least, is not.  It is a reference towards creed.  These distinctions get blurred and muddied all the time and should not.  In my view, one can be of Mexican descent, but not of Muslim descent.  To the point, is it a slur to call someone a Mexican, when they are of Mexican descent and not a Mexican national ?  Obviously (I would like to think) it would depend on the context.  As long as people in this country insist on Hyphenating and insist on maintaining their ethnic identity rather than becoming an American, this debate will continue.  

Ordinarily, I would never have refered to Debi Segura Dobbs as Mexican, save for this discussion and yes it was an attempt to bait and also see who was paying attention.  I went where I never should have or would have gone ordinarily, to make a point.

 kurtster wrote: 
I didn't forget mine...they're in there right now, plotting their takeover. I'm gonna suprise 'em with a nut bomb and make video of their teeth clacking and post it on youtube...or here in RP...you never know...

 Proclivities wrote: 

As one who finds fault and comedy in both sides and admits it, I would call it mob mentality.  It is what keeps us apart and prevents us from solving problems.  I guess when you live in a society that has one party ruling the entire government, it allows those in power to think that they are infallible and to conveniently forget the skeletons in their own closet.

 kurtster wrote: 
It is not the 'defending of our borders' that makes your statement racist (I never called YOU a racist, BTW), it is that you would classify someone (in this case, Debi Segura Dobbs) as 'Mexican' simply because they are of Mexican descent. That is akin to calling President Obama a Muslim because some of the family he descended from is Muslim. It is your statement that is racist. Now, you can go on and on about your political beliefs about the need for secured borders yada-yada... but that is not addressing the racism expressed in your statement. When you are willing to look more deeply into that looking glass, and contend with the incipient prejudice to be found therein, then I would be willing to listen to your further comments about border policy. But I will be damned if I will just sit back and let your obsfucations derail from the point on which I am calling you out. Until then, well, your commentaries carry the albatross of your prejudice.

Love ya, man. That's why.

 kurtster wrote: 
I think the practice of denying that one's own side has done wrong, while condemning groups with any differing opinions or dubious actions, is pretty common among all persuasions, political or otherwise.  It's group mentality.

 jadewahoo wrote: 

Once again you got me. 

The reason is that in my opinion, (a broad generalization based upon observation) is that most of the lefties only use a broad brush when they paint righties while they deny that their side has done anything wrong, ever.  Such as in the case earlier when I had to issue a(an) (unchallenged) correction to the point where Repubs never voted to pass any social legislation, ever.  I thought it fair to remind that person of the dear Senator Byrd (D -WV), a former Grand Wizard in the KKK to make my correction. 

Yes. I know opinions are like A-holes, just like the word assume.

And if securing our borders and defending our Constitution is sufficient to paint me a racist, then so be it.

Edit: I love this thread.  With its title, it is totally unjackable.  After all, there are no leftwingnutz as we all know.

 kurtster wrote:Kurt, you are so far to the Left of me, it is laughable. One need not be a Lefty nor a Righty to recognize a racist statement. So... if you meant o say that she is an American of Mexican descent, why not just say that, instead of an inept attempt to bait your fellow RPeeps?

 hippiechick wrote: 
Well, how about we just be Americans ?  Hyphens, just by their very nature are divisive.  They are not joiners.  If I called myself an European - American, I would be considered a racist.  How come its OK for a certain group and not others ?  You approve of that ?

OBTW: on a totally unrelated item, is getting high strictly a lefty thingy or is it OK for righties to indulge as well ?  Or is it even conceivable that a righty would get high ?

 hippiechick wrote: 
After All... we stole it fair and square.

 kurtster wrote: 
Oh yeah?

Well, it's likely I would catch it because I don't pay no attention to that man. I wouldn't know his wife from the lady down the block.

African-American is a lot better term than was previously used.

 jadewahoo wrote: 
You got me.  I knew that she was an American of Mexican decent when I wrote that.  I was waiting for a left wing deep thinker to call me on it. 

Just thinking out loud now.  Are there any American - Canadians, or African - Canadians, or American - Mexicans or  American - French, or African - Germans, or ...

Are we American - Fools or what ?  I guess its safe to be a wingnut and say that if you are a hyphenated American, then you just ain't an American.  Who came up with this hyphenated thing anyway ?  An American - Racist ?

 Proclivities wrote: 
Even their god Reagan didn't like the situation.

Someone didn't like my haves/have nots argument, but isn't their argument "It's my $$$, land, benefits, taxes, etc... and I don't want to share it with you"?

 musik_knut wrote: 
"...the illegal alien fuss.
Are great numbers of our unemployed really victims of the illegal alien invasion, or are those illegal tourists actually doing work our own people won't do? One thing is certain in this hungry world: No regulation or law should be allowed if it results in crops rotting in the fields for lack of harvesters."
-Gov. Ronald Reagan, Nov. 1977 Radio Address

 musik_knut wrote: 

for the right wing: cheap domestic labour

for the left wing: a diverse cultural mix that generates economic growth (and cheap domestic labour).

 musik_knut wrote: 
Sure there is... MINE. Me, I am all for a One World Government. Just not the one you folks are offering...

 musik_knut wrote: 
It's not hatred, it's amusement. I am just calling you on your bullshit.