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February 2011
The American Cultural Divide
February 7, 2011
What is an American? If a so-called American does not believe in American exceptionalism, is he or she still American? What if you are a Hyphen-American?
An American through Australian glasses
American Culture Links: Freedom | Family | American Culture Links | Other
A Winning the Future Moment, or Simply:
WTF?
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – President Obama has ditched the car in the ditch metaphor and the Hope & Change slogan in lieu of taking the engine off of an airplane metaphor and Winning the Future slogan . Critics say that the new metaphor does not work, since the airplane is heading to China to mortgage future generations of American, when the airplane has no fuel, while Governor Sarah Palin characterizes the new slogan as “What Were They Thinking” (WWTT) or in the vernacular: WTF?
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Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - What is an American? If a so-called American does not believe in American exceptionalism, is he or she still American? What if you are a Hyphen-American? That is, what if you are European American, Native American, or African American, are you first and foremost a Hyphen-American, or simply American. These and other related questions embody what we refer to as the Elephant in the Room, largely ignored by California Republicans and Tea Party activists, while fully exploited by the Democrats during the 2010 mid-term elections. Should the trend continue, the 2012 elections will not be much different.
This page is intended to be a repository that may flesh out the Elephant in the Room and ascertain whether the American Cultural Divide is narrowing or not.
So, what does it mean to be American? What is
the American
Culture? What do Americans value? What are American's shared goals?
In this context, observable symbols and signs of
the American Culture include stories and legends, rituals and ceremonies, language, physical structures and symbols. For example, bacon and eggs are a traditional American breakfast, just like baseball and hot dogs. Also unique to America is the US Constitution, which asserts that Americans have inalienable rights endowed by the Creator – not by any government or parasitic bureaucracy, for example . Clearly, as defined, the American culture cannot be legislated. Rather, it is a code of conduct, often unwritten that binds the US into a discernible fabric. It has been passed down from the Founding Father to other generation through folk tales and traditions.
President Obama, former House Speaker Pelois and current House Speaker Boehner are the embodiment of what it means to be an American - An American is anyone who loves life enough to want the best that it has to offer, not satisfied with status quo. An American is anyone who understands that to achieve the best in life does not required government to legislate entitlements, but ut requires initiative, taking risks, perseverance, hard work, a willingness to stand up for what is right and most of all, finishiaitive.
An American is anyone who understands the need to use common sense to meet life's challenges as opposed to the use of superior cognitive skills - just ask Apple Computer Founders or even Sun Microsystems, Scot McNeal, for example. Consistent with the Christian tradition, the principles of this country are no mere abstractions; they are written in the hearts of all true Americans
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An
email titled
To
Kill and American
which made its rounds in the blogosphere last
year, attempts to define what an American is: "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
So an Australian dentist wrote the following to let everyone
know what an
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 Afghani.
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 lives in 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 to 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
the Soviet army overran Afghanistan 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.
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