Answering the phone WAS: Licensing snafu

[John Esak]

> second and third generation Hispanics. I know second and third
> generation Americans of Hispanic origin who speak English as well as
> anyone and would expect the historical patterns to hold given time.
> 
> Ron
> 

I would guess that some historical patterns will hold and reoccur, but other
influences, such as instant communication and new mediums and media every
day are changing things. 

There is great cultural significance in 1st generation and 2nd wanting to
divest themselves of their language and customs and become *Americans*. This
precise goal is what, I think, has been lost. I spent most of my youth being
extremely left wing, extremely liberal, and extremely naïve. I spent many
cold and hungry days going to Washington, DC to march for the rights of
black people. Nothing upsets me more these days when I see all the work and
effort and pain and grief and spirit I put into that cause going to waste,
to find that now, these people want to be "black" Americans, not Americans.
This is the crux of the splintering factor that is going to destroy the
great melting pot. It is happening within the Mexican crisis. They want to
be Mexican Americans.... Our parents and theirs did not want to be Irish
Americans, Italian Americans and so on... true, that is what they are, but
ask *any* one of them who and what they are, and to a person they will say
"I am an American"... and they will be so proud of that
fact/achievement/standing.  Ask most blacks today even the most
free-thinking of them and they will undoubtedly call themselves black
Americans. It almost makes me regret all the fighting and pain I went
through on behalf of that cause. (almost... I said...)  Would I do it all
again, knowing what I know now?  I don't think so. I never wanted a
splintered, sectional America. I thought I was fighting for equality and
unanimity, not Al Sharpton or Oprah's viewpoint of we are black and we are
separate.... and nothing you can ever do will change that. Well, they seem
to be right about that... and are actively perpetuating it.

Give me back the time when I could just say Bill Cosby is a brilliant, funny
man, without having to say Bill Cosby is a brilliant, funny black man. He at
least, I know, would want the former and not the latter.

John Esak