Before you answer that question, I ask you to ponder some thoughts. First, let me introduce myself. I am just an average guy who graduated Summa Cum Laude from the school of hard knocks. You might ask what that has to do with being an American. Meritocracy is advancing through life on merit, gaining skills, knowledge, and wisdom through living life and learning from your mistakes. That is what the nation was built on. I often hear we are a nation of immigrants, which is true, but those immigrants who entered via Ellis Island did not come here looking for a handout but to lend a helping hand in building this great country and earning for themselves a better life.
So, what does it mean to be an American? First, believe in the foundations that built the country. Let us look at these lines from The Declaration of Independence: United States Declaration of Independence - Wikipedia “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that their Creator endows them with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. Second the Pledge of Allegiance: Pledge of Allegiance - Wikipedia “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”.
We need not look further than these few statements from these two documents to understand what it means to be an American. America is the only nation built on the principle of what is stated in its currency: “One Nation Under God”. In my opinion, if you don’t believe that, then how can you call yourself an American?
If we break the components down, “all men are created equal”it does not say anything about equity but equality, meaning if given an equal playing field, all people have the God-given right to achieve equality. That does not mean everybody can be a brain surgeon because God did not give you that ability, but he gave you the ability to be best at whatever skill set God granted you.
Our Creator has given us the unalienable right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. This means no one can take it away from you, but you can give it away by becoming a socialist. By giving it up, you are by definition no longer an American because you forfeited your
0rights to be a defined American. Sounds harsh, but you gave it up because no one has the right to take it from you.
Additionally, if you no longer believe in “One Nation Under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all,” are you still an American? In my opinion, no, because once again, you have forfeited your rights. You see what many people don’t realize: with rights come responsibilities. You have all these rights, but if you don’t exercise the responsibilities that come with those rights, you forfeit your Americanism.
If you are a socialist or a communist, you can’t be an American because you don’t believe in the fundamentals of Americanism. Once you don’t support the U.S. Constitution, you are no longer an American. This country is riddled with politicians, college professors, lawyers—and corporate executives, to name a few, who are un-American citizens. I am 77 years old, and when I was in the fourth grade, my teacher, Ms. Jones, made a profound observation that has stuck with me my entire life: “This country (USA) will never be taken by force but could be taken from within, Beware of the Bear and the Dragon”.
