Definition of an American

[thedrifter]

Definition of 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 person 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 fact are the people who built America.

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11,
2001 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
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.



Thomas R. Guskey, Professor
College of Education, Taylor Education Building
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0001

Sempers,

Roger