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 act 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 history since
American was founded. 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.