To Kill an American

Posted by askanewyorker 
To Kill an American
January 03, 2011 05:47PM
Sometimes you don't truly appreciate your own country and who we are as Americans until you see it—and us—through the eyes of a non-native.


I received this before Christmas and decided it was too good not to share for this New Year. And when I went through my address book I realized how true it is that we are different from one another in so many ways. We, or our parents or other family members, came from all over the globe. We represent many faiths and beliefs. Yet we are all united by a common bond so much stronger and more exceptional than we often realize.




Written by an Australian Dentist


To Kill an American

You probably missed this in the rush of news, 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 ..
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.
Re: To Kill an American
January 05, 2011 05:06PM
Thank you so much KM for sharing. I love the analogy of looking in your phone book. Growing up in CA we moved all the time, but we always landed in a block of United Nations. We had neighbors from everywhere around us, and I learned to expect to eat meals that were quite different than what my mom served when visiting friends or attending sleepovers.

When I traveled to Japan I saw us through their eyes. It made me proud,and sometimes made me ashamed. I saw more than one ugly American.

Years later my family hosts people from all over the world and I love seeing my city, country, and family through their eyes. It's not all good "there are so many fat people here" but the majority of it is overwhelmingly positive.

I love being in NY or my hometown of SF standing on a street corner waiting for a light to change and hearing numerous languages being spoken.
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