What Is an American?

To my good friend, I will attempt to explain to you what it means to be an American. I realize that you only know the face of America from what you have seen on television (what limited information your government filters for your sake). I will tell you of many great attributes, and a few less than great characteristics that come with being an American.

You see, unlike your country and its ageless history, America is but a newborn in this world. Our country was founded by an amalgamation of peoples seeking freedom from tyranny, servitude, and injustice. America won its independence from the European feudal system, and flourished with individual land owners who were not forced to serve some wealthy nobility. Each man had the opportunity to be his own master. Life was great here in the beginning, as long as you were not an African slave, or a woman. Successful white men who practiced the correct denomination of Christianity could live a very free life indeed.

Slavery was one of America’s guilty pleasures. You see my friend; we traded one form of servitude for another. However, slavery did not last forever. Our country even fought a bloody civil war partially attributed to ending slavery. Slavery’s end was in no way the end of unequal rights. On the contrary, it was just the beginning. African Americans had a long and unfair struggle to win their rights in the great Land of the Free. Truly it was only in recent times that a Black man truly had any rights. Once you have lived here in America long enough you too will have your chance to earn these rights through citizenship.

Women of this country today have the same rights and freedom as American men. This was not always the case. Women did not begin to obtain their equal rights until the early part of the twentieth century. These rights were languishing at best until about the nineteen sixties. After the sexual revolution, as it was called, women began take on more traditional male roles. They became more than mere house wives. Women became leaders, fighters, and CEOs. Today theoretically women have just as much rights, and freedom as any man.

But, the ugly truth still is that inequality still exists not only for women but for non-white minorities as well. Even though America elected its first minority President, racial and gender inequality may never fully disappear from this country. Please do not take it personally if people treat you different. Your skin color, accent, and features may cause some people to turn away from you and offer little hospitality.

Our country was founded by a people seeking religious freedom. This idea of freedom of religion sounded as if our country would be tolerant of any religion. In the beginning this was not the case. Christianity was the predominant religion, as it was in the old country. Christianity had and still does have many different sects. Many sects of Christianity were not favored in early America. Catholicism and Orthodoxy were two examples of sects that were not so popular in early America. Even the more common protestant sects, despite their similarities, often had violent confrontations. Today however, religious freedom has moved closer to religious tolerance. America is still predominantly Christian in its outlook, so don’t be surprised if your non Christian faith is viewed with skeptical eyes.

All of this being said, both good and bad, I still wish to tell you more about being an American. We live in a land where we do not live in fear of our government. There are no dictators or tyrants. Our President and our senate are comprised of elected officials chosen to represent the people. Every person over the age of eighteen has the right to vote on these and other elected officials. In America you can vote without fear of being killed for your choices. Although America has many laws, we still maintain our freedom by limiting the control that our government has over us. You may even have the opportunity to vote on some of these laws at the local level. Our Constitution and government are far from perfect. However, we at least have the ability to participate in how our government interprets and acts on our Constitution which is a freedom not to be taken lightly.

In summary, my good friend you will find that America has its flaws, as well as its attempts at perfection. My advice to you is to come here with an open mind. Be ready to face some hardships, prejudices, and foiled perceptions. But, as you become accustom to our practices and our occasional prideful re-interpretation of history, you may just find your own idea of what it means to be an American. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,
Your dear friend Billy W
Posted by Billy @ U or R at 11:36 AM 1 comments