To
Kill an American
This
was probably missed in the rush of news, 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 Peter Ferara wrote an editorial
the following day 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 Comanche, 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 lives in 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 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, never asking a thing in return.
When Afghanistan was over-run 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. The national symbol of America, the Statue of
Liberty, welcomes your tired, 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. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists. So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, Mussolini and Stalin, Mao Tse-Tung, and some other blood-thirsty tyrants from around 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.’
Thanks to Peter Ferara for permission to print this.
