Are you an American?
Before you think of an answer please think about what it means to be an American. Actually before you do that maybe you can answer, what does it mean or what does it take to be an American? Your passport, driver’s license, bank statements or other government papers might suggest that your residency is within the borders of mainland United States, Alaska or Hawaii and that alone might qualify you to be an American, at least on paper. It occurs to me that I have no idea what it means to be an American. What also has occurred to me is that certain people do have an idea of what it means and what it takes to be an American – a “real” American.
It seems the common and current thought is that to be an American or a “real” American one must display a flag in their yard, a bible on their nightstand and any type of red meat on the grill. Americans love football not futbol. Americans love NASCAR, cars and not public transportation. Americans can police the world and fail to police within their own borders. Americans love being right and never wrong.
When did someone have to wave red, white and blue flags, drive American, and pray to be a real American? The red, white and blue flag also must have 50 stars and thirteen stripes on it. Driving American seems almost ridiculous now since most of the time the car is made in Mexico. And if you are going to pray and be an American then you have to pray to Jesus, the Almighty and/or the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you but this is nothing but insulting. Now, I am not saying you cannot drive a Chevy. I am not saying that you cannot have a flag waiving in your front yard. Nor am I saying that you cannot read the bible or even understand the bible but when did these actions qualify as American or solely American? I thought the creation of the United States of America was to allow personal and religious freedom meaning that you have a right to pray to whomever, drive whatever and wave the flag as an act of honor or to burn the flag as a symbol of protest.
I am a liberal. I have a middle class upbringing. I am a college graduate from a state institution and I desire a career in the creative arts. But I also care about the environment more and more everyday. I care about schools and public works programs. I care about the economy. I think the second amendment has its place and its place is on the Bill of rights, no matter how outdated some of the language may be. I think state and church should be separate. I think you can have morals and understand right and wrong without religious motivation or inspiration. I am an American and I am all of those things just listed and more. You know what, I think a lot of people care about the environment, the economy, taxes, schools, jobs, gun laws and protecting personal freedoms.
In the end, when it comes down to it, American means you can be anything you want to be. There are good and bad people who are Americans. There are not good and bad Americans. Correction, you are a bad American if you think the your view of America is the only way. Bad Americans are those who want to limit the rights and freedoms of speech, religion, press, petition and happiness simply because they don’t like the opposite perspective. If you define what is to be American or a “real” American, do you not run the risk of ruining everything that America was built upon?
This year with an election on the way many examine the presidential race through distorted glasses. Which candidate is more American? How can such a question be answered when being American means something different to everyone? Do you look at the candidates and think… is this person going to pass legislation equal to the bill of rights or the emancipation proclamation or are they going to force a group of people off their land and place them into reservation or interment camps. Both examples are distinctly American and should not be forgotten. America loves to celebrate it rich history of equal rights, peace and economic prosperity but such greatness has not always been a constant. The United States has committed nothing short of genocide towards Native Americans, as well as years and years of slavery against African Americans and the argument that these crimes against humanity are decades old and past is just not good enough.
I am proud to be an American and that pride comes with some understanding and awareness of what it has meant to be an American. This understanding comes from acknowledging the success and failures of those before me, learning from them and doing what I can to make this country a more perfect union.
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