What does it meant to be an American?

Photo from americansolidarity.org

An "American." People and politicians are throwing that word around left and right. Sophisticated presidential candidate, Michele Bachmann, defined two new vocabulary words for the country to learn. Pro-America and Anti-America. You can buy bumper stickers and shirts that say, "Don't blame me. I voted for the American."

What does that even mean? If you're democrat, you're anti-American? Just because people believe in different things, you're anti-American? Whatever happened to being born and raised in the United States and loving your country? Is that not the meaning of being an "American" is anymore? If we can change the 235 year old definition of an "American" why can't we change the 2,000+ year old definition of marriage. Would that be "anti-American" too?

Your sexuality, religious beliefs, and upbringing doesn't determine whether you are "pro-America" or "anti-America." The whole idea of America was "freedom." In Lee Greenwood's song "Proud to be an American," he sings:

I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free.

Do we need to be reminded that America first started from a group of people who flocked to the New World to practice their religion without persecution? Remember that story you learned in elementary school called the Pilgrims and the Mayflower?

The Star Spangled Banner lyrics say

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The Preamble states

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The Declaration of Independence says

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Not everyone is free. African Americans weren't considered "free" until after the Civil War. Women weren't considered "free" until 1920 when their opinions suddenly mattered. African Americans fought again in the 1960s because they couldn't use the same doors as whites, had to sit in the back of the bus (exception: Rosa Parks), and even had different schools. Today, the LGBT community is fighting for their freedom, which they are slowly getting with baby steps.

Restricting rights on your own people where it clearly states in the Declaration of Independence that everyone is create equal? That's anti-American. Applauding that your own people are dying because they don't have health care? That sounds anti-American. Booing your own solider in uniform, overseas in Afghanistan, who is defending your country, just because he is gay? That's anti-American.

Are you anti-American because you have a different skin color than the majority of the population, a different skin color than your Founding Fathers? Are you anti-American because you were born in a different country, became a U.S. citizen, but still are proud of the country to came from? Are you anti-American because you are not a Christian but Muslim, Jewish or Hindu?

Are you anti-American if you don't believe in a god at all?

What if you just love America, what if you're proud of your country, support the troops fighting for you, and support your people? Isn't that what being an American is? America is a unique nation, we're all diverse. We all have different upbringings, different religious beliefs, we all look different--we all have a different story. The immigrants who came to this country from a half a world away build America's foundation. Not one of them were the same.

I can tell you that those firefighters and police officers who saved people's lives after 9/11 are all different. Some were white, black, republican, and democrat, but they teamed together to save lives and rebuild New York City. The Iwo Jima soldiers were all different with different backgrounds and stories, but that didn't matter when they raised the American flag. Soldiers fighting today are all different, but they still wear the American flag stitched onto their uniform everyday before defending our country.

Being a republican or democrat doesn't determine whether you are an American. Being white or black doesn't determine whether you're an American, and believing in God or Allah doesn't determine whether you're an American.

Living in American and have an constant love for your people and your country, that's what determines if you're "pro-America" or "anti-America." If you celebrate the Fourth of July, mourn on September 11th, Pearl Harbor and D-Day, you're an American. If you get teary eyed when an Olympic athlete stands on the podium, holding the American flag around them while they sing to the national anthem, you're an American. If you get goosebumps when you hear the Star Spangled Banner, you're an American.

If you get emotional when you hear, "America: land of the free and home for the brave," then you're an American.