What is an American?

[phreakwars]

The following was said to have been written by a dentist in Australia and is well worth taking the time to read in its entirety:

 

 

 

"You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American. So I just 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 Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan. An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

 

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses. An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he 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 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 11th, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

 

Americans welcome the best, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes. But they also welcome the least. The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These, in fact, are the people who built America. Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11th, earning a better life for their families. I've been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 other countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

 

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every blood-thirsty 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.

 

Pass this around the world.

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[Vortex]

I cant say if that letter is true to what it was said it was written for..

 

but it did make me well up...great letter

 

 

Unfortuantely we cant make other americans feel that way about eachother.

 

but a GREAT letter!!!!!!

[SoNyaThEBiTcH]

that was probably the best thing i have ever read, and i agree with it 100%, and when i read it it made me feel "proud to be an american" smiles thanks for uplifting my spirits! but also know that americans.....yes those same americans that you were just talking about can also be

 

drug addicts, rapists, murderers, con artists, prostitutes, theives, liars, women abusers, cheaters, child molestors, gamblers, people who will get you for anything that they can, take advantage of you in any way possible, moneyhungry, greedy, unconcerned, uncaring, assholes...yea we are those sam americans...dont make us sound to great eh

[OmegaManiac]

sailor wanna hump hump! HA!!!!!HA!!!!!HA!!!!HA!!!!!!! fell out of my chair and pee'd all over myself!!!!!!! STB STFU!

[snafu]

In other words your family members and their activities may not be an accurate description of

[phreakwars]

Now there's a true American that now's how to put it right!!

 

I am standing up soluting with a tear in my eye.

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[Msixty]

wow, i gotta say, that was one hell of a letter.

god bless America

(yes its a bit clich

[SP109]

I see you forgot to but the word cunt in your tag name as well, please make the correction so your tag more perfectly depicts the depths of your self loathing and self hate, add over all skank-attude, by the way when was the last time you took it up the ass in the Sailor wana hump hump bar, your mother raised you in? Go sell crazy somewhere else were all full up here.

 

 

In other words your family members and their activities may not be an accurate description of

[Msixty]

This is the dumbest thing I've ever read. Why are you calling this girl a slut and a whore because she realizes that America isn't as great a place as people want to make it out to be. I agree with her, America has so many great qualities but it also has a lot of really shitty qualities too. We have a lot of murder, rape, shootings, etc. and I think people need to realize that and try and take action against it instead of sitting around saying that America is the best place in the world and it's totally perfect.

 

-P

 

you are indeed a thinker, i could not agree with you more, but she could have included some of those good things in her post, instead she just made us all out to be evil criminals.

[wolvesslasher]

An American is someone who was born on either CONTINENT of America. (North AMERICA, South AMERICA)

[Jack313]

Hi Everyone,

 

This is my first post here, I'm from Britain and I'm Muslim.

 

I don't agree with America's foreign policy, I don't like the great deal of influence that the Neo-Cons have, I don't like a lot of the US' politicians, however I can truly say that I love America and the people of America.

 

I was born in the UK, I am a religious person, everything changed on 9/11. Many people attacked each other, Muslims were attacked here in Britain. Many wished to simplify things and state their are only 2 camps, the Americans and the terrorists. I have absolutely nothing against the people of the US, in fact I have a relative that lives there, I had a chance to visit New York back in 2002, got cancelled though.

 

I have met many Americans on forums and I have been shown a great deal of respect and I appreciate that from the bottom of my heart. Though the Neo-Cons and US admin have committed many crimes against Muslims and other people I will not hate the people of America blindly. I too have met Americans that don

[Gentilhomme]

you are indeed a thinker, i could not agree with you more, but she could have included some of those good things in her post, instead she just made us all out to be evil criminals.

Smarten up, she starts off her post by saying shes proad of wht the letters says and is proad of her country. The list STB made was not ment as "This is the REAL America" just as a recignition of some of its faults as well. She IN NO WAY made out ALL americans to be fuk-heads.

 

And as pleasent as praise is, it is good to think of your state critically. I love Canada, i think we rock and many share this view, but i know well enough not to let Patriotism turn to Jingoism (as i've only to any extent seen in americans sadly) or to let my love of my country to blind me to whts wrong with it. No system is perfect, and since values change with time, no system can be. We must work to better ourselves, be humble and not think that since something is great now that it can't be great after change.

 

Bless the Free, bless the caring, bless the different... Deport the idiots to kill each other off in the middle of the Atlantic, we'll just watch.

[tizz]

I am an american. But above all I am a human (that is what I see as my most important clasification)