What is an American?

As I was stumbling along online, I came across this little gem, written by an Australian:
http://www.juedische.at/TCgi/_v2/TCgi.cgi?target=home&Param_Kat=3&Param_RB=16&Param_Red=8009

"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."

It was refreshing to see someone talk about Americans in a positive light. I know many of us are outspoken, stubborn, loud gits at times. We're raised to believe that we have a right to say whatever we want whenever we want.

Read that again. "We're raised to believe that we have a right." How many things can you put after "We're raised to believe that we have a right" that are day-to-day events in the States? Now, go back and look at it again and try to come up with things that you take for granted that you missed in the first pass. Things like "We're raised to believe that we have a right to make as many babies as we want." Because, really, the people with the power can set any limit they want to on their people, as long as they have the firepower and a populace not willing to fight back.

There are things that we take for granted here that are seen elsewhere as the epitome of freedom. We can speak our minds, without fear, on how badly our leaders are screwing things up. Even in a lot of more advanced countries, you don't get to do this. In most places, we can shout obscenities without landing in jail (although there are a few places like Virginia Beach where you might get a ticket for saying shit too loudly). As a woman, there are a lot of socially-acceptable behaviors that I can do here that would lead to things like, oh, death elsewhere. Being a girl-child isn't an instant death sentence like it is still in too many other countries.

Many of the things we take for granted are truly privileges, but we see them as rights. Why do we take these freedoms for granted? Because we can. Because we were raised in an environment where these privileges are seen as rights. That's just how it is.

Because kids never think to thank their parents and grandparents for things that are this ingrained into them. It hit me, this Independence Day, how much of what I've always taken for granted is a privilege and why people continue to fight elsewhere over freedoms. It's a great loss of power for those in charge, really. When you balance safety and freedom, one of them has to give way to the other. Tightening security for overall safety, even a bit, causes a huge stir here. And it should. Freedom isn't something to take for granted. We're lucky that we can, since someone else died for us in years gone by.

Our ancestors fought like hell to give us this freedom. Some of our people are fighting elsewhere to let other places have a chance at it and to help preserve it here. Go do something to support those who are fighting to protect Freedom. While you're at it, stop thinking being free is a right.