Food for thought

I received this in an e-mail today.

To Kill an American


You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, 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 the following to let everyone know what an
American is... so they would know when they found one. (Good on ya,
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 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.

When the Soviet army overran Afghanistan 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, the best products, the best books, the best
music, the best food, the best athletes. 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 Twin Towers the morning of September 11,
2001 earning a better life for their families. I've been told that the World
Trade Center victims were from at least 30 other 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 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.



--
Currently Lost In A Good Book
by Jasper Fforde

What did God say after creating man?
I can do better.

Lurker.DeleteThis@The.Threshold waved a magic wand at the 'puter, changed into a
moose (OOPS!) - tried again and came up with:


<snip>
>
> So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every
> bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world.

<pedant>
Attila the Hun? Ghengis Khan? Vlad the Impaler?
</pedant>

--
---Mike---
Agent of the dancing barbarians (+apprentice)
Member of the Guild of Free Pedants
High priest of liquer-filled chocococolates