toquiet08
01-22-2003, 01:23 PM
Received this email from a friend in the Navy, sorry its so long.
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 or she 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, nor 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. One 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 and cultures with first languages other than
English
including those countries of the 9/11 terrorists.
So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler tried. So
did General
Tojo, Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in
the history
of the world. But, doing so would be futile 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.
Pass this around the World.
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 or she 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, nor 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. One 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 and cultures with first languages other than
English
including those countries of the 9/11 terrorists.
So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler tried. So
did General
Tojo, Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in
the history
of the world. But, doing so would be futile 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.
Pass this around the World.