Define "American"

[CelestialBody]

 

[Expertise]

A citizen of the greatest nation on earth.
Who knows virtually nothing about any other nation on earth. Or for that matter little about anything out side his or her drive to work.

A citizen of the oldest democracy on the planet. Who can't seem to elect a president or figure out a punch card.

A citizen of a nation whos currency is more valued than any other. But why do you have to come here for us to get it. You make annoying tourists.

A citizen of a nation with out peer. Fuck it, i'm glad its you guys instead of the Chinese or Russians.

 

[Expertise]

PS to CB

You should be soooo thankfull that Flagg is not among us sweetie.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Don't worry. I can handle Mr. Grumpy.

 

[CelestialBody]

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

I don't think he's left either. This site has an amazingly strong gravitational field whose pull I can never manage to escape. He may not be posting, but I suspect he's lurking. I definitely think being an American is more a set of ideals that it is an actual nationality. After all, we're a nation of immigrants (even the Indians are immigrants, although they got here a long time before the Europeans).

The cliche is that America is a "melting pot", which implies a homogenous mixture of all its individual cultural ingredients. I'm more apt to believe it's a "tossed salad" (pun not intended ) because America's many cultural groups don't blend together completely, but remain distinct, side by side. The best example from where I've lived is blacks and whites. Blacks and whites have influenced each other immensely, yet remain culturally very distinct and somewhat separated.

What allows us to live side-by-side with our differences is a common belief in the "promise of America", that each person has the right and ability to create the kind of life for himself that his dreams and talents allow. Alongside that belief is a common belief in our political institutions that we believe to truly represent us and see to it our opportunities for living prosperous and free lives are maintained.

There's my high-school civics class answer... but I believe it.

 

[riff]

On a good day, an American is a well-intentioned, hard-working, and amicable sort that wants nothing but to prosper, to help others prosper, and enjoy the fruits of life. This American is has a CAN-DO outlook on life and feels that nothing is impossible.

On a bad day, an American is a self-centered, ungrateful, and pompous whiner who can do nothing but vomit jingoistic garbarge, exploit the misfortune of others, and waste money on things that will never fill the hole in his soul. This American has no outlook on life because his head is so far up his own ass, he would have to look out of his mouth to see.

Fortunately, most of our days are pretty livable and we fall somewhere in between.

 

[Expertise]

IMHO

Oliver I would have to agree with paragraph three, the first two provide a piece of the puzzle, but muddy the issue.

In fact i would suggest that "being an American" necesitates something greater than the culture of the ethnic group from which we come.

I wouldn't suggest that it assimilates it or subjugates it entirely. But it to some extent makes it secondary (ideally) to a higher and broader set of principals and ideals.

Culturaly inherrited laws (exclusive of religion) mores, traditions can be maintained only to the point of acceptance within the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. An adherence to and belief in these is what makes one an american.

I'm Canadian. So in the way it is posed it applies here as well.

Or on the other hand. I'm Canadian. So what the fuck do I know.

 

[ManOSafety]

Well...

According to the Civics book that I teach from, Americans have a heritage that values Freedom, Justice and Equality.

Of course, our history (and our present) is filled with examples of a Lack of Freedom, Injustice and Inequality, but no one responsible for any of these thought they were exhibiting injustice or inequality. Unfortunately, too often we consider our actions with situational ethics, where it's okay to restrict the freedoms of this group right now because they do this or to not treat that group equally because they haven't done such and such.

So, even though we don't show it to others, I think that what makes an American an American is the expectation to have Freedom, Justice and Equality.

Now, I'm not saying that there are no other nationalities that have these values, so I don't want to see posts from people saying, "I'm from Greater Elbonia and I'm Free, Just and Equal." I'm just saying that I think these are some of the few things that are values of all Americans.

 

[riff]

A citizen of a nation whos currency is more valued than any other. But why do you have to come here for us to get it. You make annoying tourists.

A citizen of a nation with out peer. Fuck it, i'm glad its you guys instead of the Chinese or Russians.

You are right about being lousy tourists... I forgot to include that in my answer.. heh

But what's wrong with Russians? They are certainly a curious people- like Americans in so many ways- but distinctly Russian, and having huge hearts- which is what matters to me the most, anyway..

 

[Expertise]

Unfortunately they (Russians) have this proclivity for rolling armored divisions through your nation and then hanging around and fucking up the economy.

Americans on the other hand. Well sure, they'll flatten your ass but then they build up your country to the point where your economic situation is better than there own. Ask the Germans or the Japanese.

 

[Latina]

The great thing about America is that you CANNOT generalize what an American is. There is room for all types of personalities and ideas. AND, unlike most countries, you do not have to have been born here to be a citizen, anyone can go through the process and BECOME an American citizen. These aspects make this country unique in all the world. But there are those who want to silence dissenting opinions, and some of them have the ears of some powerful politicians, so we must be forever vigilant to protect our hard-won freedoms. And that vigilance, too, is part of being an American.

I think the movie Inherit the Wind said it best. I don't remember the exact quote word for word, but the gist of it was that being free comes with the responsibility that you must be willing to defend someone whose ideas you totally hate. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which some conservatives so love to bash, does that ALL the time, like when a Jewish ACLU lawyer defended the right of the American Nazis to march in the predominantly-Jewish town of Skokie, Illinois, about 25 years ago. In the movie The American President, the president says that the question isn't why is he a card-carrying member of the ACLU, but why isn't his political opponent, a conservative who claims to love freedom and love his country, ALSO an ACLU member?

No, the U.S., Americans, and the ACLU are not perfect, and America has done a lot of evil (witch trials, slavery, Indians, WW II internment of Japanes-Americans, and many other things) along with the good. But we are STRIVING toward something better, while some dictatorial or tradition-bound nations have NO such strivings. We may not YET have reached the promised land, or even all agree on how to get there, but to paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we Americans "have been to the mountain-top and SEEN the promised land." And "we as a people WILL get to the promised land." Not sure we'll even all agree that we HAVE reached the promised land if and when we get there, or even recognize that it IS the promised land. Even so, the goal, and the journey getting there, are still with us, even when hope has given way to despair in SO many other places.

That's my take on being an American, for what it's worth. Being an American means I can express these opinions, and you can disagree with them. Even 200 years into this great political and social experiment, there are so many nations where you HAVE no such rights to express or challenge an opinion.

-- Latina

 

[Bobtoad777]

American is one small step away from being perfect, i.e Canadian

j/k folks, both countries are great

 

[ManOSafety]

Hey take off, eh Bobtoad, you hoser...

LOL, that was pretty good Bobtoad, and hey, I love you guys' bacon...

 

[riff]

1 more and i'll let you sleep...

Unfortunately they (Russians) have this proclivity for rolling armored divisions through your nation and then hanging around and fucking up the economy.

Americans on the other hand. Well sure, they'll flatten your ass but then they build up your country to the point where your economic situation is better than there own. Ask the Germans or the Japanese.

They aren't the USSR anymore. And they don't have experience with market-capitalism and the people (god bless them) have been thru hell.

Never judge a citizen by his government, I say. All we want to do is eat, sleep, and fuck. )))

 

[Bobtoad777]

Re: Hey take off, eh Bobtoad, you hoser...

LOL, that was pretty good Bobtoad, and hey, I love you guys' bacon...

i like my bacon too. In fact its 3:43pm in the afternoon I should cook myself some breakfast

 

[Expertise]

Riff. It was a gross generalization with a humorous intent. Much like my comments about americans.

I bare the Russian people no ill will assure you. Actually the comment is out of date and lacks basis in fact even as long ago as the mid eighties.

 

[Ambrosious]

A nation founded by the oppressed, who quickly learned to become the oppressors.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

Dictionary.Com gives the following definitions of "American"
A·mer·i·can (-mr-kn)
adj. Abbr. A., Amer.

Of or relating to the United States of America or its people, language, or culture.
Of or relating to North or South America, the West Indies, or the Western Hemisphere.
Of or relating to any of the Native American peoples.
Indigenous to North or South America. Used of plants and animals.



American adj 1: of or relating to the United States of America or its people or language or culture; "American citizens"; "American English"; "the American dream" [syn: American] 2: of or relating to or characteristic of the continents and islands of the Americas; "the American hemisphere"; "American flora and fauna" [syn: American] n 1: a native or inhabitant of the United States [syn: American] 2: the English language as used in the US [syn: American English, American language, American] 3: a native or inhabitant of America [syn: American]




American \A*mer"i*can\, n. A native of America; -- originally applied to the aboriginal inhabitants, but now applied to the descendants of Europeans born in America, and especially to the citizens of the United States.

The name American must always exalt the pride of patriotism. --Washington.



This moment of Pure and utter Conformation to the system is brought to you by a Lemon that Came out of my ass, Thank you, and Now we return you to your regularly schedualed program.

 

[Closet Desire]

I can't resist...

I'm an American who has travelled around the world for over two decades and now lives on an island where many still complain that the Americans were "oversexed, overpaid, and over here!"

I've found that many nations have the fundamental beliefs in justice, freedom, equality etc...they just have different ideals about achieving it.

The comment about America as a tossed salad is one of the best I've heard because one real distinction seems to be a preservation of cultural heritage while here others are expected to blend a bit more (not to the extent of the Borg...you will be assimilated...resistance is futile!).

Still, after serving many years in the military, living all over, I've decided that being American means that's where I'm from.

Americans have many positive qualities and many annoying ones as well. I happen to like the French too and tolerate their annoying ways. Everyone is different and that makes it more interesting for me.

I think I much prefer the ideal of the Renaissance which was to be a citizen of the world.

On a more humourous note I suppose everyone knows that David Duke (white supremicist) was in Russia when the FBI raided his home this week? Sort of ironic don't you think?

Have a happy Thanksgiving and eat some turkey for me.

 

[Expertise]

Not nearly as ironic as it would have been even 10 years ago CD.

Russia has far right organizations that make the Nazi's look like choirboys.

Hope hes not paying them a courtesy call... you know.... Wizard to Lizard.

 

[Closet Desire]

sad but true...

Of course you're right...my understanding is that he is promoting his new book and suggesting that the Russians and the Germans have the "strength" to rid the world of inferior races.

The Germans have some really tough legislation toward race hate and anything remotely neo-Nazi. The Russians are just having a tough time all over and I suppose it's those tough times that can force people to cling to such a philosophy. It's sad because as a nation or culture I think the Russians are incredible people. Fantastic at science (particularly on a shoe string), brilliant mathematicians, physicists, and programmers. So many contradictions. I hope they get sorted someday and really put the talents to work.

I have no room in my heart for hate.

 

[CelestialBody]

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

Being American....

Is simply a state of mind. Born out of personal experience and desire. Yes desire. One can "become" an American if they so desire. The American mind-set is different to every individual American as is the perception of what an American is to those who don't consider themselves to be one.

American? A rather good label to simple describe oneself, how one may think - or how other's may think.

Convenient? Sure. Falable? Of course. Diverse in iterpretation and meaning? Yep.

Necessary? Kind of.

 

[CreamyLady]

A person born in North, South or Central America.

Vulgar usage: a citizen of the United States; particularly one who will stand no criticism of said United States.