OT Patriotic message from OZ, Hope this offends someone Options

[Howard]

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. (Good on ya, 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 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. Infact, 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, 2001 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.

Author unknown. Pass this around the World.

[TimT]

Ive seen variants of that message many times... hope thats way alot of the world thinks of us...I found a story in the Times about athe daughter of a WWII survivor living in Normandy that still tends to one of our fallens graves..

Yet the are many that virulently hate us....

I saw the Twin Towers fall... through all that horror I kept looking at the Statue of LIberty...praying that wasnt next on the hit list.

We give Billions... and some still hate us.

Im rambling, and upset again..

Ill try and not let it happen again

[Levi]

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[rick 918-S]

I bow to all who think and feel free of the oppression and cruelity of lessor men. It is through these thoughts and deeds we gain strength and numbers. You can't kill an American and think you win. Through sorrow, outrage pride two more future Americans break the chains that bind their body and mind and take the place of the fallen. The American way will prevail.

[Sparky]

Awesome, no truer words have been spoken. But someone check me on this I think the actual original text of that was written during the Vietnam conflict by a Canadian journalist. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Mike D.

I served and was proud to have done so!!

[redshift]

EDIT

[Rusty]

EDIT... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This post has been edited by Lawrence: Jun 20 2004, 11:23 AM

[redshift]

No, it's not at all.. that sure hurts.

[Howard]

Rusty, Miles, nice edits. I was ready to delete entire post. Proud to be part of this club.

[redshift]

I meant something different than I said... or something.

Never the less, I didn't mean it the way some took it, please accept my sincere apology if you are reading this, and were upset.

I'm angry at people who want to hurt us, I love my country, and all you people out there, just living life.


Miles