Mcgrath of Harlow & CAROL C.

As an American, I have to say that I haven't the beginnings of a clue about what 'being American' is. I have no sense of cultural identity with this place. It's just the place where I live. There's too much cultural diversity here for anyone to try to define what it means to be 'American'.

As a reply I would say

One of the failings we have as a culture is that sometimes we dont replicate our culuture from generations to generation.

I have maintained for some time that "The Yankees" of Civil War fame are gone.

The cultural of heritage of the Massachusetts of Daniels Webster day is remembered in a vague way.

How Stands The Union.... You better have his answer or he will rise right of his grave... Webster was not kidding.

What is an American? Its a cultural idea, just like an Englishman in one of the Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas could tell you what he was.

With the continuing attack on the American cultural under the banner of diversity you have a real challenge.

Places like New York which while never very cohesive as a group are even more fragmented that ever.

Some cultural elements are pushing for the American/English language to be "not required", segments of the immigrants want to retain ethnic identity.

For those benighted souls who dont know they are Americans and what values that means, I would submit, go to some of the Third World Countries and see how they operate.

Its was a cultural wake up the last time I went from American Nogales to Mexican Nogales. Its like a time warp. (Less so as the illegal and legal Mexican immigration into the American West continues.

Whats an American, I can well understand your confusion. We have MEXICAN POLITICANS, 2000 miles from Mexico to woo voters who are in Yakima Washington. If the voters are not in your town, why not go to where they are.

Whats An Englishman... What Would Gilbert And Sullivan have said, Whats an American... What would Benjamin Franklin have said....

Good Luck on Your Quest... If being an American is just a fact of that is where your at, I would suggest you read Everette Hales... Man Without A Country... Or Even Lay Of The Last Minsteral..

Wes Prichard...