Please don't call me a Hyphenated-American.

My heritage is that of Jefferson, Franklin, Adams and all of our Founding Fathers, who stood up against the mightiest nation in the world for liberty.  My heritage is that of Gettysburg, Antietam, Vicksburg, and all the battles and lives lost for the cause of freedom, in the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil.

My heritage is that of my mother-in-law, father-in-law, and great uncles, who worked and fought in the world’s second war to end oppression.  My heritage is that of my parents and grandparents, who struggled to make a better life for my brothers and I. My heritage is that of Parks and Doctor King who stood up before adversity for what they knew was right. My heritage is that of Lucy, Desi, Gleason and Carney, who gave us something to laugh about.  My heritage is that of Armstrong, Aldrin and the original seven, who showed us just how great a people we can be.

I was born here; my parents were born here, as were my grandparents and great grandparents.  All were born here.  I am not an Italian-American, Irish-American, Chinese-American, African-American, Jewish-American, Islamic-American, Christian-American, etc.

I am simply an American.

When the nations of the world spit on a “Jewish, Christian, or Islamic-American” because of his religion, they spit on me. When the nations of the world attack and kill an “African, Asian, or Latin-American” because of her color, they attack and kill me.

I am proud of my nation’s past, and I acknowledge its mistakes, but I apologize to no one for any of it!

So please, don’t call me a Hyphenated-American.  I am just an American, good and bad and everything that goes with it.

And I am proud of that as well!

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