Definition of an American

Written by an Australian Dentist...

To Kill an American

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week,
but there was actually a report that someone in
Pakistanhad 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 Americathan 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 Afghanistanwas 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 TwinTowersthe
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.