The ideal America

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/20/01 3:11:46 PM, prozactruth writes:

 

<< What Is An American?.....Author Unknown.....

> >

> > 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 news-

> > paper 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 wel-

> > comes 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

> > nation 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.

> >

> > ######################################

> >

> > Always be sure to learn from the mistakes of

> others;

> > you will never live long enough to make them all

> yourself.

>

>

>>