Freethought & Rationalism Archive

livius drusus · 01-05-2003, 10:07 AM

I received this from my best friend a couple of days ago. She was as unamused as I by its facile pap and we're both curious to see what the PD denizens might make of it.

My favorite parts are the standard reliance on the Declaration of Independence to jam God into politics, the resulting sad fate of atheists, and the notion of the Statue of Liberty as our national symbol. Here I thought it was the Bald Eagle, or possibly even the flag.

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A Must Read!?? Finally someone says it right !!!
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 killed an American, any American. So an Australian dentist wrote the following to let everyone 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 Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan. 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 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 person 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.

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 who 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.

Please, pass this around the World.

Needless to say, this was not written by an Australian dentist, but rather by a George Mason University law professor and was published in National Review in September 2001. (Thank you, Snopes) Notice how the comment on the international death toll of the WTC disaster is an interpolation and how Mr. Ferrara's final paragraph, the creepy call to revolution, was excised from this version.

As for the Pakistani newspaper which published the bounty on US lives, I found a couple of articles mentioning it, but they are from a single source (wire service, clearly) and I haven't been able to find any follow-up to the story. In any case, it seems the paper was shut down, the editors arrested for inciting hate and the group which according to the editor made the offer is denying all knowlege.(Click here for the most complete story I could find.)

Bree · 01-05-2003, 10:30 AM

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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.

I remember watching The Daily Show a few months back, and John Stewart was making fun of one of the newer dictionary's addendum to the definition American - it sounded eerily similar to what was found in your USASpam

.

livius drusus · 01-05-2003, 10:36 AM

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Originally posted by Bree
I remember watching The Daily Show a few months back, and John Stewart was making fun of one of the newer dictionary's addendum to the definition American - it sounded eerily similar to what was found in your USASpam .

Well that makes my skin crawl. I'll have to see if I can find a transcript from that episode. The everyone who loves freedom is an American crap reminded me of 1) JFK's I am a donut comment, and 2) I am Spartacus. The irony is palpable.

01-05-2003, 10:40 AM

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They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

I do and I'm not. Furthermore I have no wish to be one.

Celsus · 01-05-2003, 10:44 AM

Well I can't speak for the other non-Americans on this board, but I'm convinced. So, to convert to Americanialism, who do I pray to? Will the bald eagle do?

Joel

I don't know but I've been told,
'Mericans* are mighty bold!

* not to be confused with Mexicans.

livius drusus · 01-05-2003, 10:49 AM

No, no Joel, honey. You must pray to the Statue of Liberty in order to be converted from wretched chunk of refuse to Americanialism. Oh, don't forget that part in the Declaration of Independence about how well-endowed you have to be, too.

Oxidizing Material · 01-05-2003, 12:16 PM

Why can't we all be Canadians?

Sakpo · 01-05-2003, 12:51 PM

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Originally posted by Oxidizing Material
Why can't we all be Canadians?

Because there's no such thing as Canadians (they're more a popular fiction than anything else).

8of9 · 01-05-2003, 01:34 PM

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Why can't we all be Canadians?

Hmmm ... I think the citizens of the USA would gain security by pointing out that Canadians, as well as Brazilians, Guatemalans, Argentinians, Pervuians, Bolivians, etc. are all "Americans" ...

By thus defining our terms, we dramatically decrease the probablility of direct attack on a randomly selected citizen of the USA (not to mention increasing the threat to our neighbors).

Amen-Moses · 01-05-2003, 02:19 PM

"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. "

And created Osama Bin Laden in the process!

"As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan."

Except Osama Bin Laden. (oh and the UK, Germany, Norway, Japan etc etc.

)

Amen-Moses

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01-05-2003, 10:44 AM	#5
Celsus Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Singapore Posts: 2,875	Well I can't speak for the other non-Americans on this board, but I'm convinced. So, to convert to Americanialism, who do I pray to? Will the bald eagle do? Joel I don't know but I've been told, 'Mericans* are mighty bold! * not to be confused with Mexicans.

01-05-2003, 10:49 AM	#6
livius drusus Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Selva Oscura Posts: 4,120	No, no Joel, honey. You must pray to the Statue of Liberty in order to be converted from wretched chunk of refuse to Americanialism. Oh, don't forget that part in the Declaration of Independence about how well-endowed you have to be, too.

01-05-2003, 12:16 PM	#7
Oxidizing Material Banned Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Somewhere where I don't know where I am Posts: 2,069	Why can't we all be Canadians?

01-05-2003, 02:19 PM	#10
Amen-Moses Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Portsmouth, England Posts: 4,652	"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. " And created Osama Bin Laden in the process! "As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan." Except Osama Bin Laden. (oh and the UK, Germany, Norway, Japan etc etc. ) Amen-Moses

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