[SOC] what is an American (fwd)

[soc@mailman.qth.net]

 What is 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:

 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 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
person 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, 2002 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.

 Pass this around the World. >>

Uli Kortsch
Realtor, Prudential Fox & Roach,
MailTo:UKortsch@global-partners.com
Suburban Philly Real Estate
http://www.SuburbanPhillyRE.com
Off:	610-688-4310		Voice Mail:	610-293-3881
Direct: 610-225-0205		Fax:		801-740-5859