America was once the "great melting pot", where newcomers to this nation pitched in to build a society that had a common goal. Each group of immigrants to this country added a bit of their culture, their flair and spice. I love travelling to large cities and experiencing the various communities. The Italian market, Chinatown, the Indian markets, Spanish markets, Islamic markets. There is nothing like wandering through the different sections to experience a little bit of each countries culture and cuisine.
With the advent of the civil rights movement America has lost sight of what is truly important. There are justifiable movements for equality, but not every group in America is a minority needing protection. Many of these groups are making themselves victims through the negative portrayal of themselves during their demonstrations and activities.
Gone are the days of American first. Today we have a hyphenated America. "I am an African-American, Asian-American, Jewish-American, Italian-American, Muslim-American", and the list goes on forever. I strongly believe that the hyphen has achieved it's goal. A hyphen is nothing more than a separator. It has done it's job well. We were once a nation of 300 million, now we are 300 nations of one million.
America is rapidly becoming a house divided. As we we further segregate ourselves by school, where we live, where we work, what we do for our liesure, we are weakening what America has always stood for..... freedom for all through common goals. We should be working together for the benefit of all Americans. We can learn a lesson from the values of our grandparents and their parents. A strong sense of community, civic pride, volunteerism, a strong work ethic are swiftly being replaced by uber-individualism, selfishness, materialism. As society splinters into these tiny sub-cultures, communities are being devastated.
I grew up in a small town in the heart of Maine. When I was six, the population was 58. When I returned after my military service, the population was 108. There was one thing that struck me though. Just as when I was a small child, neighbors just came in to say hi. No locking the doors or windows. My friends, and my parents friends were welcome any time. The door was always open to everyone, and still is today. Perhaps that is the lesson to be learned for all of us. Maybe, just maybe, the country would be better off if we all slowed down and really got to know who is in our community. Maybe, just maybe, we should celebrate diversity less, and community more.