Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
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, 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.
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, 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.
:--)
