An American is not delineated by a particular skin color or way
of life. He is a person from many places, with many shades of skin;
of different sizes and varied energies. He has a Master's Degree, or
he may never have finished high school. He may drive an expensive
automobile, or perhaps he relies on two mules to carve his living
out of the earth. But regardless of what he is, lacing the different
physical features together is a bond of strength in tradition which
exemplifies the American way; a way which opens the doors of
opportunity to all peoples who may knock upon them. An American has
a spirit which was born when the bells tolled of independence, and
which has released the adrenalin of his nation time and time again
when its existence was threatened by an aggressor.
An American does not view armed conflict as a means of getting what
he wants, but rather as a means of protecting what he has. He is one
who loves the very concept of Peace for all nations, but will not
hesitate to fight on the shores of others to protect his own. An
American sees the knowledge of experience in his past, feels pride
in the accomplishments of the present, and has hope for the future
of the world, even when others would view the days to come with
dismay. But a realistic American finds no guarantee of freedom or
security in the future solely because he has always had it in the
past.
An American recognizes the faults of his system and seeks to correct
them through a process unknown to many nations. A process which does
not promise absolute perfection, but one which allows for peaceful
change, if change is needed. That process is democracy, and an
American holds that word so dear, that he stands ready at a moment's
notice to lay down his life for its perpetuation.
An American finds nothing at all unusual about getting cold chills
when his flag passes in review, for his flag has always been a
source of inspiration; when the smoke cleared over Fort McHenry,
when its sheen was reflected on the sands of Iwo Jima, and when the
colors glistened on the side of the craft which took the first man
to the moon. An American sees nothing strange about getting a lump
in his throat when the National Anthem is played, or weeping
unashamed when taps is played for one who paid the ultimate price
for his freedom. He realizes that the only thing that exceeds that
price is the freedom itself. An American never forgets the
indebtedness he has because of that sacrifice, for without it, his
freedom would only be an unreachable concept in some philosopher's
mind.
A true American is the essence of pride in a way of life. What is an
American, you say? he is fortunate.
-Michael Brown