Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: midnight Target on February 03, 2003, 03:52:42 PM
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This was touched upon in another thread today. Probably a hoax letter, but who cares:
You gotta love this Aussie!
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, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or
Pakistani, or Afghan. An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache 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 man and woman 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. When Afghanistan was overrun by
the Soviet army twenty years ago, Americans came with
arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their
country. As of the morning of September 11, 2001,
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, earning a better life for
their families. I've been told that the World
Trade Center victims were from at least thirty other
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, and Stalin, and Mao, and every blood
thirsty 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 and
freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit,
everywhere, is an American.
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Well done Midnight Target! We sould print this up and distribute it to everyone that "hates" Americans.
As I said in Hortland's post, as an American, I feel lately like I have a target painted on my back. I say back because that's where the shot will come from.
:(
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good post midnight
we may disagree on most things , but we agree on what a ameracan is.
44MAG
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What is an European?
What is a Japanese?
What is an African?
Why anybody that loves progress qualifies to be an American?
Sorry, I personally think I have high values, morality, and I wish to contribute to the progress of mankind with my tiny effort.
But I don't particularly feel american.
Don't get me wrong, I've lived there for some time in several places across your big country, and I find nothing wrong with your way of living, but I prefer to be considered an European as I always feel like home when I cross the atlantic again.
I love visiting the US of A, but I wouldn't live there (except for NYC perhaps). I prefer Europe, with its inconsistencies, inner quarrels, nationalisms and whatnot. It's home :)
I think that an american from the US of A will truly understand my point, as he takes pride in living in a country that he feels integrated in. I do as well.
Daniel, aka Cyrano, an European :)
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Well said! only thing u got wrong is the food, most of it just instant frozen stuff now, nobody knows how to cook good homade stuff, least not like in some of the european countries!
Ahh I love forigne music, lands, foods, cultures, Histories! as well as american (except for foods lol).
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Originally posted by cajun
as well as american (except for foods lol).
If a 20 ounce porterhouse cooked to perfection is American - I like the food. :D
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Daniel,
Of course you have a point, but you also seem to have missed the direction the post was taking.
Sometimes overanalyzing is a bad thing, or as Freud would say....
"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar"
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or as Groucho would say
"He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot."
not talking about anyone in general just thought it was a funny quote.......
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Originally posted by midnight Target
Daniel,
Of course you have a point, but you also seem to have missed the direction the post was taking.
Sometimes overanalyzing is a bad thing, or as Freud would say....
"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar"
Nah MT, I knew where it was going, just that I have another view on the subject, that's all.
Carry on, I won't stray from the path the thread has taken :)
Daniel
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I think the MT's quote it's very nice.
I want just to notice one thing:
the main difference between me and a "common american" (if it exist) it's that:
I consider myself and my country PART of the world, a complex thing, composed by many different cultures and peoples, and beautiful for this complexity.
The common american think almost the same, only with the word PART changed in CENTER.
:)
Maybe this is the reason why we fight so much in this board :)
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Originally posted by CyranoAH
What is an European?
What is a Japanese?
What is an African?
Why anybody that loves progress qualifies to be an American?
Sorry, I personally think I have high values, morality, and I wish to contribute to the progress of mankind with my tiny effort.
But I don't particularly feel american.
Don't get me wrong, I've lived there for some time in several places across your big country, and I find nothing wrong with your way of living, but I prefer to be considered an European as I always feel like home when I cross the atlantic again.
I love visiting the US of A, but I wouldn't live there (except for NYC perhaps). I prefer Europe, with its inconsistencies, inner quarrels, nationalisms and whatnot. It's home :)
I think that an american from the US of A will truly understand my point, as he takes pride in living in a country that he feels integrated in. I do as well.
Daniel, aka Cyrano, an European :)
just a small clarification
Europe is a continent not a country
Japan is a (for the most part) closed society
Africa is also a continent
just saying..
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I believe, semantics aside, you got the point.
I'm a member of a country belonging to the European Community.
Better? :)
Daniel
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cyrano... no... I didn't get the point. you didn't make a point. I don't see a lot of immigrants going to spain and living and working and prospering. spain.... sheesh.
lazs
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Originally posted by lazs2
cyrano... no... I didn't get the point. you didn't make a point. I don't see a lot of immigrants going to spain and living and working and prospering. spain.... sheesh.
lazs
Actually you are miseducated.
I know many, many people, including Americans, who go to Spain to study and prosper.
Its a nice country. You just have no idea about it (like you have no idea about anything outside the states surrounding you) so you just assume.
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never been there. Only know what I read about it's economy, unemployment GNP and racial makeup. Oh yeah.... they used to do some exploring and were kinda mean to the people they "discovered". Hemingway wrote a fun book about one of their revolutions and hitler tested some equipment there.
That's probly a lot more than what you know about me animal.
lazs
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Its a lot less than I know about Spain. And in its history you will find many parallels with US history. But thats history.
I dont care to know about You.
But since we are playing a game of assumptions... ;)
Relax, there is nothing wrong with there being nice nations other than America. You are not threatned.
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Spain is a beautiful country and the people are great. My cousin teaches English in Zaragoza, and I've been going there every summer for a few years - she got married last year. I just love the place, and would move there in a shot if I could speak a little more Spanish.
Stay in the US lazs - the world is a terrible place outside the US. I agree totally with you, there's no need for you to leave.
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well animal... fact is you don't know anything about me but you presume to claim to know what I do and don't know.
maybe I read it wrong but cyrano's post is the one that seemed defensive to me. The subject of the whole thing in my opinion was that America is comprised of many nationalities so..... Hating America is like hating people in general.. Cyrano gave examples that prove the uniqueness of America.... The diversity is real. Japan? LOL... Africa? Huh? Africa is a bunch of nations that even tho they are allmost entirely of one race.... are bigots. I have not been to a country yet where I don't get along with the people. I can say tho that, politicaly, I have very little use for most countries and find the U.S. to be the best in that regard.
I think I could live in a lot of other countries but I would have to live away from the large population centers. Some countries would be worse than others.
It just seemed that for someone from Spain to get upset about Americas claim to diversity of race and heritage... well...
lazs
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At any rate...MT's post was good. :D
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I was not upset... just wanted to say that you can be a citizen of the world and love diversity without feeling american.
But yes, I overanalized MT's post, thus sounding defensive. Let this post clarify the whole thing and we can all move on. :)
America's diversity is indeed its more valuable asset, just as much as the differences that a spaniard and a finn can have... that's why I have faith in the European Community as a whole.
Daniel, happy to be a citizen of this strange mess that's Europe right now :)
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cyrano... I can see how it would be interesting to be part of europe. I like the idea of being able to see so many countries so easily. In America... we actually do travel a lot tho... we put a lot of miles on our cars. You would be surprised (or maybe you allready know) at how divirse is not only our population but our landscape and our states themselves.... allmost like little nations unto themselves. It would take a great deal of time to really see most of America. We also have Canada and Mexico on our borders. One could concievably drive from Alaska to South America... The distances and cultures are staggering.
lazs
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Dunno if I said it in this thread, but I LOVE visiting the USA... I have already been to Wisconsin, NY, Maryland, Florida, California, Vegas, the Great Canyon, Yosemite, and I plan to go back when I have the time and the money.
As you can see I like your country a lot; it's just that I prefer living here :)
Daniel
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cyrano... if you get out to northeren CA... give me a call and you can stay at my place or just meet up.
lazs
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Who possesed lazs's computer and turned him into a great guy?
As for American landscapes, here is a pic from my LA -> Seattle roadtrip thru the 101
Just a taste of the beauty you can see there:
(http://www.alienvisuals.com/daedalus/sunset.jpg)
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A beautiful little red "X"
:)
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Naso,
I just found out that my Maternal Grandparents came from a small town in Calabria called Umbriatico. Have you ever heard of it?
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@MT
Umbriatico....
In some way sound me familiar, but i dont know why.
BTW is near Crotone, checked the map.
People from Calabria is known in Italy (in jokes and popular culture) as stubborn people, with one-piece eyebrow, and a strong dialect accent.
Their accent is represented with strong C (read K) and T.
The dialect have some root in Napolitan (the kingdom that covered all Southern Italy before unification), and in Crotone and Reggio Calabria zones lot more strong Sicilian influence.
If you want a typical (excessive) representation of a Calabrese, check "the Godfather II", the man that Al Pacino call from Italy to assist the process he was in, and induce the "cooperator" to testify.
The food it's usually strong taste, with a big use of peperoncino spice (not like mexican food but near), in fact a particular very strong variety of the Peperoncino it's a typical product of Calabria.
The sea of Calabria is one of the principal vacation attraction, a lot of people of Southern Italy and a good share of the center and North, spend the sea vacations in Calabria.
There's a tradition to represent Calabria as the land of origin of the "Briganti", in some way rebels of the newborn Italy, usually mere criminals.
In the middle of the Region there's the "Sila" a group of mountains very rough and defendable, in fact it's a stronghold of the local criminal organization, called "n'drangheta" (derived from "Briganti" or so they say), the police (Carabinieri), usually goes in the Sila in complete war asset, sometime even using Armored Cars.
Attention, the n'drangheta it's NOT the mafia, have different origins, but anyway today it's almost under control (colonized ;) ) by the sicilian mafia.
It's a beautiful land that deserve a visit, well, every place in the world deserve a visit (maybe with the exception of Detroit area ;) ).
If you want to have a look to your ancestors land, give me a call, I will be happy to be your interpreter.
:)
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more
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Last one, a Brigante.
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Excellent, thank you.
People from Calabria is known in Italy (in jokes and popular culture) as stubborn people, with one-piece eyebrow, and a strong dialect accent.
This does decribe some of my cousins. My mother married a Swede (much to the horror of the family I'm sure), so I don't look very Italian.
I will definitely let you know if I make the trip. The food sounds great!
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Originally posted by lazs2
cyrano... if you get out to northeren CA... give me a call and you can stay at my place or just meet up.
lazs
Promise... as long as you do the same if you come to Spain ;)
Daniel
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"well, every place in the world deserve a visit (maybe with the exception of Detroit area"
LMAO I didn't realize Detroit was world famous. :)
What a beautiful city...
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Well, I heard a lot of jokes about it, so I used it. :)