You probably missed it in the rush of news last week (?), but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published an ad in a newspaper offering 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. (Good one, mate!)
An American may be English, French, Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian, or Greek.
An American may be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Arab, Pakistani, or even Afghan.
An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole 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 lives in 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 right of each person to life, liberty, and 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 the Soviet army overran Afghanistan 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 products, the best books, the best music, the best food, and the best athletes. But they also welcome the least of these.
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 tried.
So did Tojo, Stalin, 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.
Australian author unknown.
About Me
- Spatula
- Let's see, I'm a perpetual talker, I am an avid reader, an animal lover, born to be a mom, and a college graduate. ;) I've got a fun sense of humor and enough attitude to go around. I love nature and all things beautiful. I'm a Christian and very glad to be one, and I'm always open to new ideas, discussion, and questions. I love computers, getting dressed up, having my hair played with, and scaring myself. Roller-coaster rides are my element, and I love to have a good time. Mashed potatoes are my comfort food, and I want to go skydiving and bungee jumping before I turn 30. Leave me a note all about you! Or start your own blog and I'll come visit...
4 comments:
absolutley correct, being an american is about pride and spirit, founded on the word of God.
Thats a great one Pam!
Only thing is it's origins are incorrect. It was actually written by Peter Ferrarra.
Either way, I'm gonna post it too.
I´ve been to the USA 3 times and have great memories of it, and i´m sure that just like everywhere else there are good and evil people, doing good and bad stuff. But the problem is that what evil people do is a lot bigger that what good people do !!! Don´t tell me that Bush spent billions of dollars in Iraq and Afeganistan because he was concerned with "democracy" !!! Give me a break !!! Every day hundreds of childrens starve to death in Africa, India, Brasil and lot of other places, but your government never moved a finger to change it ! Worst that that, if you read a little about south america history (i´m from Brasil) you´ll see that during decades your country provided weapons and money to the military government (thousands of people died because of it). USA gaved money/weapons/military training to the Afegans to kill russians during the cold war period !!! History is there to show us a lot of cases similar to this (Nicaragua, Vietnan, etc ...)
Don´t tell me that people in USA are free to choose in what they belive ... The unlawful detention of "enemy combatants" at the US Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba has now entered its fifth year. Hundreds of people of around 35 different nationalities remain held in effect in a legal black hole, many without access to any court, legal counsel or family visits.
Many of these detainees allege they have been subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Three detainees have died at the camp, after apparently comitting suicide. Others have gone on prolonged hunger strikes, being kept alive only through painful force feeding measures.
Guantánamo Bay has become a symbol of injustice and abuse in the US administration’s "war on terror".
Not only america, but all the rich countries are rich as they are because there are 8 years old childrens working 15 hours/day here in Brasil, in China, India and lot of other places. There is always a price to pay ! If one side is winning, another has to lose.
I don´t blame the american people for what your government does wrong, just like i don´t blame myself for all the stupid things that my government does. For some reasons the media make us belive that everyone who looks like arabian is a potencial terrorist, and in the other side of the world they turn all americans to be evil. People around the world don´t hate americans because they don´t have as much shopping centers as you, but because your government doesn´t let then to have one ... most of these people don´t know what a TV is !!!
I think that independent from where we are born we have the right to live, but never the right to kill, no matter what ... perhaps this happens because it is a lot easier and cheaper just literally KILL our problems, even if we are the ones who created them ...
Wow. Um, I don't really have a reaction to this one, except to say that this little rant (or whatever you care to call it) is rather superfluous. I think you missed the point of the letter and post in general. Game over. Try again.
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