This has made the "rounds" on the Internet, but deserves repeating. It is attributed to an Australian dentist. Still good.
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 an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is. So they would know when they found one.
(Good one, mate!!!!)
"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, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan."
An American may also be a Comanche, 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 God given right of each person 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, never asking a thing in return.
When Afghanistan was over-run 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 of everything…the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. 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. It’s been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different 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 other blood-thirsty tyrants in 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.
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butrcupps 13th March 2010
I am a proud American and a proud citizen of these great United States of America. I am so tired of being ridiculed and hated. I don’t believe our country is perfect, but always pray for a brighter tomorrow. I want to thank from the bottom of my heart the writer of this essay and to you for passing it along so that I may see that the international opinion of us is not hopeless.
babo1dm 13th March 2010
This great…it feels good too
Have gun, will travel. 13th March 2010
A most excellent piece.
SittinPretty! 13th March 2010
WOWWWWW!!!! Thanks for that!!
katjha2005 13th March 2010
That was great!!!!!!!! I’m going to print it out…
badgirl69_2005 13th March 2010
that was a great piece…awesome!
jamie 13th March 2010
I’d not seen that. Thanks.
Level Eight 13th March 2010
Excellent definition of an American!
Thanks for putting the word out!
parrothead2371 13th March 2010
That is really good. Thank you for sharing.
mommyof4 13th March 2010
Thanks for posting this and making my day! I know that this is something everyone can agree on.
HEATHER 13th March 2010
I had never read this before.
Thank you.
Sabine 13th March 2010
Awesome!
lcd 13th March 2010
Excellent report! Thank you!
Truely Happy* 13th March 2010
You made my day! I’m so happy to hear someone say anything good about all the different people that share this great country. It’s about time we were all recognized as one no matter how different we all are were Americans!
princess_29_71 13th March 2010
Good post, thank you.