james, i received this in an email that had been forwarded multiple times so i'm sending it along exactly as i received it...i believe attribution is at the bottom...i hope you find it worthwhile...i found it moving...ss
Sent by former CO, interesting author.
Bob
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 8:33 AM
Subject: Fw: WHAT IS AN AMERICAN? (this is outstanding)
Forwarded by VP-10er..............
"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 there 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 African, Indian,
Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or
Afghan.
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
choose. 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.
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 power.
American women are free to show their beautiful faces to the world, as
each of them choose.
An American is free to criticize his 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,
all religions, because they are not afraid. They are not afraid that their
history, their religion, their beliefs, will be overrun, or forgotten.
That is because they know they are free to hold to their religion, their
beliefs, their history, as each of them choose.
And just as Americans welcome all, they enjoy the best that everyone
has to bring, from all over the world. The best science, the best technology,
the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best
athletes.
Americans welcome the best, but they also welcome the least. The
national symbol of America 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. 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 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.
So look around you. You may find more Americans in your 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
too will join the community of free and prosperous nations.
And America will welcome them.
What Is An American?
A primer.
By Peter Ferrara, an associate professor of law at the George Mason
University School of Law.
Fairfax, Virginia
(Please do not remove the author's name or personal information from
this article if you send it along to your friends.! Thank you!) |
