An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, or Canadian, German,
Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be African,
Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani or Afghan.
An American is Christian, or 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!
- Author Unknown
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final
word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than
evil triumphant." - Martin Luther King
