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Posted by TLE (Member # 280) on :

What it really means to be an American
By Peter Ferrara
Professor of Law, George Mason University, Virginia
You probably missed it in the rush of news last week. But there was a report that a newspaper in Pakistan had published an offer of a reward by some fundamentalist extremists to anyone who killed an American.
Any American.

I thought I would write to let them know what an American is, so they would know when they found one.

An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek.

An American may also be African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arabian, or even Pakistani or Afghan.

An American is a Christian, or he/she could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims here in America than there are in Afghanistan.

The only difference is that in America, they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

Americans are also free to believe in no religion at all. For that they will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American is someone from the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God-given right of each man and woman to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need.

When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country.
As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

An American does not have to obey the mad ravings of ignorant, ungodly, cruel old men. American men will not be fooled into giving up their lives to kill innocent people so that these foolish old men may hold on to their power.

American women are free to show their beautiful faces to the world, as each of them chooses.

An American is free to criticize his or her government's officials when they are wrong, in his or her own opinion. Then he is free to replace them, by majority vote.

Americans welcome people from all lands, all cultures and all religions, because they are not afraid.

They are not afraid that their history, their religion or their beliefs
will be overrun, or forgotten. That is because they know they are free to hold to their religion, their believes, their history, as
each of them chooses.

And just as Americans welcome all, they enjoy the best that everyone has to bring from all over the world. They have the best science, the best technology, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food and the best athletes.

Americans welcome the best, but they also welcome the least. The Statue of Liberty, the national symbol of America, welcomes "your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free; The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me."

These are, in fact, the same people who built America. Many of them were working in the twin towers on the morning of September 11, earning a better life for their families.

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did
General Tojo and Stalin and Chairman Mao, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world.

But in doing so, you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom.

Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

So look around you. You might find more Americans in your own land than you thought were there.

One day, they will rise up and overthrow the old, ignorant, tired tyrants that trouble too many lands.

Then those lands also will join the community of free and prosperous nations.

And America will welcome them.

*************
While the author said American this goes to any country that ascribes to the description above. Please no one start a "my country is better than your country" arguement in here. This is for everyone of all countries and nations.

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

quote:
Americans are also free to believe in no religion at all. For that they will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

Uhhhhh ... this sounds a bit off, to me. There is no god, therefore I can't be held accountable by one. He couldn't just leave it at "...no religion at all" ... he just had to do some preaching? Otherwise, nice piece.

Posted by Tahna Los (Member # 33) on :

Er, okay, so what is a Canadian, then?

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

A Canadian is an American, actually. So is a Mexican, a Brazillian, an Argentinian, and so on...

It's a bunch of nationalistic claptrap.

"Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place."

Maybe not a particular people, but they are from a particular place. That's the definition of "American": someone or something from America.

"An American is someone from the most prosperous land in the history of the world."

We've got quite a few lands in America that aren't very prosperous...

"When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country."

Oh, please. That had nothing to do w/ helping Afghanistan, and everything to do w/ fighting the USSR. The enemy of our enemy is our friend, and all that...

"American women are free to show their beautiful faces to the world, as each of them chooses."

Hey, now... Even the ugly ones get to show their faces, too...

Sorry. Had to be said. :-)

"An American is free to criticize his or her government's officials when they are wrong, in his or her own opinion."

Well, for the moment, anyway. We'll see...

"They have the best science, the best technology, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food and the best athletes."

Ha!

"So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo and Stalin and Chairman Mao, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world."

Didn't Hitler, Stalin, and Mao mainly kill their own people? And "every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world" is a ludicrous hyperbole. Can I get some figures on the the number of Americans killed by Genghis Khan?

Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :

There is no god, therefore I can't be held accountable by one.

This from mister open-minded agnostic.

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

Hello, people. Lounge, nice, yadda yadda yadda. K?

Posted by The359 (Member # 37) on :

*holds up his 'ATHEISM FOREVER' sign*

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

This from mister open-minded agnostic.

Granted, I'm not set on the "There Is"/"There Isn't" yet, but if there is, I'm sure S/He would rather look at how I've lived my life and the choice I've made, and not whether or not I went to church once a week.

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Or, as Thomas Jefferson put it, "Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason than of blindfolded fear.".

Posted by IDIC (Member # 256) on :

"What it means to be a nationalist."

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

That's a great quote, TSN.

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

Even without getting into the oh-so interesting "does God exist" debate, this article falls down by itself:

"Americans are also free to believe in no religion at all."

Yes. They are. I say there is no God.

"For that they will answer only to God."

Oh, wait, there is.

"An American does not have to obey the mad ravings of ignorant, ungodly, cruel old men."

So, this country of relgious freedom uses "ungodly" as an insult? Brilliant! You win the logic argument.

And, even apart from that, some of it is just plain stupid.

"An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek."

So I'm American then? And 90% of the population of Europe is American? And how come the Turks don't get to be American, eh? Do they smell?

"An American is someone from the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God-given right of each man and woman to the pursuit of happiness."

Oh yes. The Declaration of Independence is single handidly responsible for the success of Microsoft (notice the "God-given bit too")

"American women are free to show their beautiful faces to the world"

At this point, I abandon any attempt at witty commentary. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

"Americans welcome people from all lands, all cultures and all religions, because they are not afraid."

BWAHAHAHAHA!

"And just as Americans welcome all, they enjoy the best that everyone has to bring from all over the world. They have the best science, the best technology, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food and the best athletes."

I would laugh at this one, but since the author seems to think that "American" means "Everyone from North or South America, Australasia, Europe, and Asia", he's probably right.

"Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom.

Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American."

No, they quite plainly aren't. That makes as much sense as "Goats are not a particular species of mammal. They are the embodiment of the determination of Goat rapers everywhere.

Everyone who holds to the determination, is a goat."