I am a person who has a pretty good understanding of what the Native American (Indians) had to endure after the white man invaded their country… and I am quite aware of what the black people went through when they were shipped over here from Africa to be made slaves.

I don’t understand why black people who were born and raised here want to call themselves “Afro-American” when they are really Americans.

My father-in-law came to America from Norway and became a citizen, yet he is not referred to as a Norwegian American. Is it the same as my Italian Uncle who was born here? He is an American.

All of us who were born in America are called Americans right? We are all different races but should be united as Americans.

Seems we are constantly being divided by words, traditions and politics.

I wonder if we haven’t become more divided after getting an Afro American president? (Even though he wasn’t born in Africa and is half Caucasian of some kind). The president has expressed his desire to get us out of the “Racist” style words, like the “Redskins” using words such as “Squaw and things like that. When Obama recently stayed in Arizona, he stayed at a resort called Squaw Creek. That surprised me that nothing was said about it.

I have an Indian friend who tells me the football name of the Washington Red Skins was not originally done to mean anything derogatory to Indians, just like the term Fighting Sioux wasn’t done to mean anything bad against Indians… after all, Indians were known to be great fighters… Our Federal government has Tomahawk missiles, Apache, Black Hawk and Kiowa helicopters. Last week we visited the Aircraft museum in Tucson and I noticed the Seminole, Thunder Chief, and Sioux aircraft still had their native names on them.

Remember the attack mission that killed Osama bin Laden? Well, the operation (or mission) had the code name “Geronimo”.

Why is our government so hypocritical?

If they named a plane or warship after me…I’d be proud and I think most people would be. I was adopted and found out later I was a Norwegian… What a blow huh? So go ahead… name a little rowboat after me, I’d still be grateful that you thought enough about me to do it!

It’s a sad thing that we have become so divided and touchy about everything that’s said these days, especially when there’s no harm meant.