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 there an offer
of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any
American. So I just thought I would write to let them
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 African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese,
Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or
Afghan.
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 choose.
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 man and woman
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 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.
An American does not have to obey the mad ravings of
ignorant, ungodly cruel, old men. American men will
not be fooled into giving up their lives to kill
innocent people, so that these foolish old men may
hold on to power.
American women are free to show their beautiful faces
to the world, as each of them choose.
An American is free to criticize his government's
officials when they are wrong, in his or her own
opinion. Then he is free to replace them, by majority
vote.
Americans welcome people from all lands, all cultures,
all religions, because they are not afraid. They are
not afraid that their history, their religion, their
beliefs, will be overrun, or forgotten. That is
because they know they are free to hold to their
religion, their beliefs, their history, as each of
them choose.
And just as Americans welcomes all, they enjoy the
best that everyone has to bring, from all over the
world. The best science, the best technology, the best
products, the best books, the best music, the best
food, the best athletes.
Americans welcome the best, but they also welcome the
least. The nation symbol of America 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. Many of them
were working in the twin towers on the morning of
September 11, earning a better life for their
families.
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.
So look around you. You may find more Americans in
your land than you thought were there. One day they
will rise up and overthrow the old, ignorant, tired
tyrants that trouble too many lands. Then those lands
too will join the community of free and prosperous
nations.