Words of wisdom from Theodore Roosevelt...

.... Teddy Roosevelt, who eschewed hyphenated nationality names like Italian-American, Irish-American, and couldn't foresee today's African-American or Islamic-American, declared that we should all strive to be called: "AMERICAN" !

He said way back in 1916;

"We should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with every one else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birth-place or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part as an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. . .

We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people."

Every time I heard that one term loser Mayor of New York, David Dinkums extol the virtues of "the beauty of a broad mosaic of ethnic diversities" in this country --- I immediately reflected back on Teddy's words above; "not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house"! What a difference in American positive attitude and personal wisdom and foresight! RIP Teddy!