I found this article in my notes from several years ago (right after 9/11) - I thought it might be interesting to share right after July 4th
What is an American? A primer.
September 25, 2001
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 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 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 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
By Peter Ferrara, Peter Joseph Ferrara (born
1955) is a Lawyer, policy analyst and columnist who is the current general
counsel for the American Civil Rights Union and analyst for The heartland
Institute. He is libertarian scholar.
