What Being an American Means to Me

I am VERY pleased to be able to share this essay written by Susan. Being an American means so many different things to so many different people. Susan writes about her feelings on this from the heart, and I believe she speaks for many of us when she says:

What Being an American Means to Me

Today is Presidents’ Day. What better time to reflect on what it means to be an American? For me, being an American citizen is an honor and a responsibility, not a birthright. Being American is a state of mind, not a state of residence. I thank God every day for putting me here in the U.S. at this time in history where I have the opportunity to have my own opinions, to share those opinions, to vote my conscience, to be as successful as I want to be, and to raise my children with all of the benefits of this great land.

So, to the Susan Sarandons and Alec Baldwins of the world I ask, “What does being an American mean to you?” I understand that you don’t like war. I also understand that you believe the American government is doing it wrong. I have heard the cries demanding to know, “Why should the rich get richer while the poor get poorer?” and the outraged demonstrators waiving their Anti-Bush posters. To this I say, “You have a right to your opinion and thanks to the United States Constitution, you also have the right to voice that opinion.”

I realize that there are many people that were born in the United States because their parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents migrated here many generations before they were born. For those Americans that are here for that reason, I want to let you know that another privilege you have as an American is the freedom to leave if you wish to do so. It has obviously not occurred to these individuals that just because their ancestors viewed the American way of life as a positive change that does not mean that they are obligated to remain here. There are a number of other countries that do not operate in the same manner as the U.S. in fact no other countries operate in the same manner. Oh wait, that is exactly WHY America exists today, isn’t it? Of course, I remember now…

Was it third or fourth grade when we learned about the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, and the Pilgrims? Stay with me here, I know most of the Hollywood Elite never went to college but I would hope you made it through elementary school. Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? Do you know what that holiday represents? Those individuals demonstrated the fire and perseverance that is the embodiment of what it means to be American. They had such a burning desire to be free from religious persecution that they risked their very lives to travel to a new land and before they ever set foot on solid ground they made their first group decision and entered into the Mayflower Compact.

That need to be free and love of country was handed down to their children and those children demonstrated their metal in the American Revolution. They stepped up and fought for what they believed in and paid a very high price so they could leave a legacy of freedom and independence for generations to come. So, when Bruce Springsteen is singing “Born in the U.S.A.” or Cher is belting out the National Anthem, I have to ask what message is it these people are trying to convey? They claim some sort of obligation to use their celebrity to promote their idea of a better America but how would becoming another France be representative of a “better” America?

All the things these people are demonstrating against are all of the things that make this country great. If you want the government to pay for your medical expenses, move to a socialist country. If you want to share the wealth, maybe you should consider relocating to North Korea. Their government makes all the decisions and there is no rich/poor dynamic - everyone is equal. Of course, the people are starving to death because the government has opted to spend all its resources on weapons rather than food so you will want to pack a lunch!

I am absolutely amazed that these people flaunt their ignorance like a badge of honor. What do you say we put a “President HU Jintao SUCKS!” tee shirt on all of them and ship them off to Bejing? Do you think their argument that they have a right to assemble would work there? How about their right to free speech? I would love to find out. As for all of the wealthy Hollywood Elite, if you are so concerned about the world’s hungry, ill, and oppressed, why haven’t you opened your pocketbook to help the needy here at home?

I am an American, in the truest sense of the word. I love my country, I would fight for my freedom, my right to bear arms, my right to choose my religion, my right to free speech, and my right to tell my President, George W. Bush, “I respect you, I voted for you, I support you, and I sleep well at night knowing that the safety of this nation is in your capable hands. May God bless you and may God bless America!” It is also my right and honor to stand up and say to all of our service people, “Thank you for risking everything you hold dear to protect our way of live. Thank you for putting yourself in harm’s way to keep innocent children out of it. Thank you for your generous commitment to the oppressed people of Iraq and all of the other nations around the world. You are the heart and soul of America and the modern day “Pilgrims” that future generations will revere throughout history.”