> I think dividing ourselves up and forming groups and organizations based on ethnicity and such is pointless and in fact goes against the way America is supposed to be. On money is the word "E pluribus unum", although it might be spelled differently. I don't speak Latin, but I know that this means "Out of many comes one".
>
> Out of many groups and cultures (Hispanics, blacks, whites, Indians, Chinese people, etc.) comes one (Americans). That's the way it's SUPPOSED to be.
>
> Too bad it's not how it IS.
>
> -eric "sigh..." sleator
> Tue 27 Jun A.D. 2000

Since this was on the other page, I figured I'd bring my reply over here so that you would see it. I agreee with you Eric. The thing is, though, as long as ONE, solitary group insists on being classified as "different" and continues to complain about their lot in life and what they should or should not get because of their lineage (regardless of if it is the white male, the black woman, the hillbilly from Kentucky :) or the overzealous teenager, it doesn't matter) we will always have a separation. It's really sad, and I wish everyday that it was different. Everytime I turn on the TV or listen to the radio and hear about another incident, regardless of how simple, I'm reminded that no matter how far we come as a nation, we will always be held back by the past. No one can let go. I watched "Crazy in Alabama" last night and it had a profound message. The problem I had with it, though, is that it fed on stereotypes and misconceptions that are true today. It's high time we all let go of what our ancestors did in their own time, in their own way and start focusing on what needs to be done today in order for their to be harmony. It's really easy to say that you don't have stereotypes or that you don't hold discrimantory ideals, but one thing I've noticed is that when faced with a complicated situation, there are very few people who can deal with a person completely as a person and not let a little of their own preconceptions get in the way. As hard as it is for me, I have to quit being offended by a hillbilly slur. I sometimes thing that when people hear that I'm from Appalachia that they think I only have one pair of shoes and am married to my brother.Even though I know that it's not like that. There are poverty-striken and uneducated people all over this world. Yeah, there are a lot of them here, but there are a lot of them in other places, as well. And, when you grow up in a town where there are no minorities living, it's hard to be accepting unless you have been taught to be accepting. I was lucky, my parents took me all over the country and showed me many different people, ways of living, and ideals that helped me in dealing with the "real world". Maybe one day we will at least have the majority of people letting go of their grudges.

CarrieAnn