I could say much the same about being Scots or British Jo. McArthy is interesting because he was such a sham - homosexual, trying to get a friend out of the draft and so on, whilst playing to the crowd as a driven campaigner. I can really only tell I'm in Europe because the beer works faster than in the US or UK. My Bulgarian neighbours here are very much like my neighbours when I was young and I'm supplied with moonshine as surely as if I lived in the Kentucky foot-hills! I'm not sure I can distinguish anything British or American or European, other than stuff like tea-drinking.
On Oct 7, 7:54 pm, Jo <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm American and I love my country. My grandparents were immigrants. I > found their names on the registry at Ellis Island :-) I love the > people in this country, even the a-holes. Our diversity makes us > colorful, and we are proof that different cultures can exist > peacefully within the same borders. Our freedoms give us the ability > to express who we are and you can guarantee that someone will come to > your rescue if anyone else tries to deny you of that right. > > On the other hand. The American government embarrasses the hell out of > me. The culture of the politician has come too far away from the > culture of the citizens. Their agenda's do not even come close to what > we want. And if you are overseas reading this, then I want you to know > - even though we have the choice, and I assure you most of us do > vote....... it seldom turns out the way we hope. > > On Oct 7, 9:44 am, Pat <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > On Oct 4, 4:01 pm, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > When I hear that phrase, I'm reminded of McCarthy, determining from > > > congressional committee whether or not someone was properly American. > > > Apparently, being an artist, musician, philosopher, or wanting to > > > implement > > > social platforms to help the less fortunate were all considered such. > > > > Allan said that he had become un-American due to losing his ability to > > > drive. I'd like to hear you flesh that out some more, Allan, and then I'd > > > like to get some feedback from everyone what they think it means to be > > > American, or UN as the case may be. > > > Funnily enough, it's a topic I cover in my book when I address America > > in particular. One of the points I raised is that ther are two > > obvious ways of being American: > > 1) if you were born there > > 2) if you become a naturalised citizen as per the constitutional > > process > > > There are many immigrants, though, who leave their homeland for > > various reasons and come to America in the hopes of fulfilling the > > 'American Dream' like countless immigrants before them: the ability to > > eke out a better life for themselves and, perhaps, their families. > > These immigrants are, arguably, more 'American' in their hearts than > > many naturally born citizens, many of whom have become embittered by > > life in America not living up to its promise. America is founded on > > allowing immigration and building itself up by welcoming those who > > come from the rest of the planet. If America ever stops or limits > > immigration, it becomes un-American itself. The differences between > > people are humanity's greatest strength; therefore, a melting pot > > ought to be a strong nation. Yet there are still a minority of bigots > > who would have you believe that, unless you are White Anglo-Saxon > > Protestants, you are not American;thus, even the Native Americans are, > > by that rule, un-American. The falsity of their premiss is obvious. > > If anyone starts making claims about who is American and who is not > > other than by the two scenarios I stated above, they are bigots and > > are a danger to America and TRUE American values and ought to be > > weeded out. The Bush family and the Cheney family are cases in > > point. Their membership in the remains of 'The Knights of the Golden > > Circle' is evidence that they are, in fact, bigots in disguise. One > > of the offshoots of 'The Knights of the Golden Circle' was the Kuklos > > Clan, which, by corruption became the Ku Klux Klan. 'Kuklos' is Greek > > for 'circle' and that is why the offshoot called itself the 'Kuklos > > Clan'. Jesse James and William Quantrill were old members of this > > 'Knights of the Golden Circle' group. Their original concept was to > > conquer the West Indies and Central America and annex the entire lot > > as new Slave States. John Wilkes Booth was also a member, thus his > > famous line of 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' after assassinating Lincoln, > > implying that Lincoln was a tyrant because he stood against the > > increase of slave states. > > Enough rant! I think I've made my point. Bigots who oppose people > > because of petty differences like the relative amount of melanin in a > > person's skin are un-American. If you oppose immigration simply > > because you dont want 'foreigners' in America, you've lost the > > American plot. Remember the Statue of Liberty and Emma Lazarus' > > words: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to > > breathe free. THAT is what America stands for.
