Danzig |
09-12-2008 06:14 AM |
"The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles. You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together; the independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint counsels, and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings, and successes.
But these considerations, however powerfully they address themselves to your sensibility, are greatly outweighed by those which apply more immediately to your interest. Here every portion of our country finds the most commanding motives for carefully guarding and preserving the union of the whole."
"In contemplating the causes which may disturb our Union, it occurs as matter of serious concern that any ground should have been furnished for characterizing parties by geographical discriminations, Northern and Southern, Atlantic and Western; whence designing men may endeavor to excite a belief that there is a real difference of local interests and views. One of the expedients of party to acquire influence within particular districts is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts. You cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heartburnings which spring from these misrepresentations; they tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection."
in other words, endearing (:rolleyes: ) terms such as redneck, nascartonia, etc do nothing to further the cause of our nation, but instead causes divisiveness.
to suggest one region is somehow better, smarter, than another would do the same. no part is greater than the whole or something like that. we all have things to contribute, and all have a point of view-and it may not always be from the mountaintop! someone is in the valley below...
i remember when i was in the navy we were told that altho some jobs in that branch were more glamorous than others (such as a pilot vs a bosuns mate) that ALL were necessary; that the navy needed everyone in order to function. i would say the same holds true as citizens. i know some look down their nose at those in the service industry, the garbage man for instance, or the guy who drains septic tanks...not very glamorous jobs at all. but if they didn't exist, we'd all be trashmen taking care of our own garbage.
so maybe everyone could take a lesson in humility, i know there are times when i could. if someone disagrees with you, it's not necessarily because they're a 'redneck'. maybe they just have had different experiences and viewpoints than yourself. we're all in this together folks, so maybe we could all be a little more courteous.
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