Apropos of nothing, see below; of course it does not excuse or make just all the bad things ever done in the name of "America," but I found it a useful counterpoint.

~S~

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Subject: Fw: Fwd: An American

It really is sad that there are so many in this, our own Country,
who do not understand, nor appreciate what this individual from
Australia is saying... THANKS AUSTRALIA !!!

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 s/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.