Born in the USA: What Does it Mean?

We are Americans. We of prodigious history, we of the glorious past self-liberated from the tyranny of the British Empire. We come from a famous and storied past, but what exactly does that mean? What is it to be American?

In the past answering that question would have been the essence of simplicity itself and any American could give you the answer and here it is, inscribed upon Lady Liberty's Plaque itself.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Not like all the others are Americans, is America. Americans defied tyranny, and would be no tyrants themselves. We were defenders of the oppressed and we stood mighty and tall against the darkness in the world torch held high as we stood by our glorious golden door to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We were the land of opportunity and proud to be as such. We sought to be different, to forge a government out of nothingness and newness. That is our legacy that is what it meant to be American.

Where have those values gone? What are we and how have we defined ourselves? Are we proud? Or have we become arrogant like the British Empire whom we once liberated ourselves from? What once was the land of opportunity is now lands of greed...look at the current credit crisis, the housing crisis caused in great part by the greed and lack of foresight in corporate America. We who once were seen as standing tall, or at least sought to stand tall now are known as lazy, 74.1% of our population above the age of fifteen is overweight

Free thinkers? America, the home of Benjamin Franklin now relies on the Media to do it's thinking for it. Now think of this, how many people see a story in the news then research it to find out what really happened? Now think how many people just accept the opinion and slant of the newscaster whole heartedly? Is this not a tragic disparity? Such a great nation as we were, we still have the remnants and indeed we are great...as a world power we are enormous. That position grows more tenuous with each passing day however and should we not strive to better ourselves, who may call themselves an American without wishing to return America to its former glory a country built on ideals instead of built around the struggle for power.

As there is a past and there is a present so too is there future. It is we the citizens of the United States of America who steer that future, our future. It is up to each and every citizen to redeem America. We cannot become what we once were, we'll always wear the tarnished scars of our greedy, power hungry and lazy nation as it is. Why can we not as a nation defend the weak once more? Why can we not extend a hand to help all those in need, instead of extending the gauntlet of the military? I don't say we shouldn't defend ourselves, we should. Rigorously and with great prejudice, we are America, but open aggression shouldn't be the American way instead why don't we strive to stop conflict, instead of beginning it?

I know I'm an idealist. I am aware that all of these ideas are hopeful. What can any one person do? The answer is quite honestly very little. But very little means more than nothing. Monumentally more in fact, a very little help can move great mountains, obstacles and can cause great movements ot succeed. Why should we not be idealists? Believers in an American Ideal, not of what was or what is but what America can become. A land of proud defenders, free thinkers, unprejudiced acceptance and the free, it is up to each of us to choose the America we live in, what America do you choose?