FlyerTalk Forums - I Am A New Yorker

It's now Sept. 12, and we've all, no doubt, witnessed the replaying of the pain and suffering of a year ago. May I offer this, also received in an email from a friend, shortly after 9/11. Hopefully, to give strength, and pride, to us all.

> > Subject: WHAT IS AN AMERICAN?
> > >
> > > The following was said to have been written by a
> > > dentist in Australia.
> > >
> > > "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 I just thought I would write to let them know what
> > > an American is, so they would know when they found
> > > one.
> > >
> > > An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish,
> > > German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American
> > > may also be Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese,
> > > Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or
> > > Pakistani, or Afghan. An American may also be a
> > > Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, 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 is from 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 man and woman
> > > 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 Afghanistan was overrun 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, 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, 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.
> > >
> > > So look around you. You may find more Americans in
> > > your land than you thought were there. One day they
> > > will rise up and overthrow the old, ignorant, tired
> > > tyrants that trouble too many lands. Then those lands,
> > > too, will join the community of free and prosperous
> > > nations, And America will welcome them!"
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>

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Good Night, God Bless.

Never Forget!!!

bj-21.

Jeff