What is an American

[philly]

Subject: What is an American
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 an Australian dentist wrote the following to let
everyone 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 11, 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 11, 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 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.

I've seen a similar writing like this one before. It's a nice gesture all the same...

[Drywall]

Here's one from George Carlin


I Am Your Worst Nightmare. I am a BAD American.


I like big cars, big hooters, and big paychecks. I believe the
money I make belongs to me and my family, not some midlevel
governmental functionary with a bad comb-over who wants to
give it away to crack addicts squirting out babies.
I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac, you'd better
do it in English.

I'm not in touch with my feelings and I like it that way.

I believe that it doesn't take a village to raise a child, it
takes two parents.
I think owning a gun doesn't make you a killer.
I want to know which church is it exactly where the
Reverend Jesse Jackson preaches. And where does he get his
money. And why is he always part of the problem and not the
solution.


I think that being a student doesn't give you any more
enlightenment than working at Blockbuster. In fact, if your
parents are footing the bill to put your pansy ass through 4-7
years of college, you haven't begun to be enlightened.

I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God or
gods, just leave the rest of us out of it. This also applies
to sexuality.

I believe it's called the Boy Scouts for a reason.

I don't think being a minority makes you noble or victimized.

I don't use the excuse "it's for the children" as a shield for
unpopular opinions or actions.

I think fireworks should be legal on the 4th of July.

I don't hate the rich. I don't pity the poor.
I know wrestling is fake and I don't waste my time arguing
about it.

I think global warming is a big lie. Where are all those
experts now, when I am freezing my ass through a long winter?

I've never owned a slave, or was a slave, I didn't wander
forty years in the desert after getting chased out of Egypt, I
haven't burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks and
neither have you, so shut up already.

I think the cops have every right to shoot your sorry ass if
you're running from them. I also think they have the right to
pull your ass over if you are breaking the law, regardless of
what color you are.

I think if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works, I
don't want you deciding who should be running the most
powerful nation of the world for the next four years.

I think if you are in the passing lane, and not passing, your
license should be revoked, and you should be forced to ride
the bus until you promise to never delay the rest of us again.


I think beef jerky could quite possibly be the perfect food.

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but
please don't pretend they are a political statement.

I think Dr. Seuss was a fool.

I 'm neither angry nor disenfranchised, no matter how
desperately the mainstream media would like the world to
believe otherwise.

If that makes me a BAD American, then yes, I'm a BAD American.

[janecallanan]

America, E Pluribus Unum!
Don't cha love it?!!!!!!!!

[philly]

What the Tubes thought on "Proud to be an American":
I'm proud
to be an American
I'm proud
of the groovy things we've done
There's television, free religion, Rock 'n' roll, Standard Oil,
Times Square, Jimmy Darren, Corey Wells, and Smokey Bear,
price reduction, reconstruction, Peace Corps, and lots more
Culture that we got to lend
I'm proud
to be an American
And I'm proud
Had a great time bein' one
There's your school and my school and both of us in high school,
surfboards, cigarettes, homework, Southern Comfort
Boy's dean was real mean,
Made us keep our locker's clean
Failed nearly every class
Ditchin' was a gas
I'm proud
to be a young American
I'm proud, just think about it
All the far out things that we've begun
There's revolution, constitution, land, sea, and air pollution,
cold wars, hot wars, gas wars, and confrontations,
constipation, consternation, open hearted palpitations
Muscular Dystrophy
I'm proud to be an American
Because we got department stores
full of cheap guitars
But when Sputnik plays 'em, you just go go go go
I'm proud to be an American--we got two chickens in every garage
And I wish every other kid could be one--in my country, the medium is the massage
'Cause it's impossible to give
Equality and justice to inferior foreigners
too jealous to trust us
Gimme your weak and your homeless
How 'bout checkin' the oil ah, fella?
I'm proud to be an American