ENEMY MUST FIRST LEARN TO IDENTIFY AN AMERICAN
.
It was reported that someone in Pakistan
actually offered a newspaper reward to anyone
who killed an American - any American. So
an anonymous author thought he should write
to let them know what an American is, so
they could identify them when they found
one.
"An American could be English, or French,
or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish,
Russian or Greek. An American may also be
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 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, 2001, 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 national 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. Some of them were working
in the Twin Towers on the morning of September
11, earning a better life for their family.
"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!"
(Forwarded by Col. Bob Blank via Jerry Lightner)
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