With all the controversy in what it means to be American at this point in history, coming to a consensus on the meaning of the term is crucial. The meaning of being an American can often be tied to one’s emotional connection to the United States of America. If this attachment is taken away from the definition of the word, the most authentic and traditional interpretation of what it means to be an American is revealed. To be an American means to be a citizen of the United States and to align yourself with the ideals of America.
Since the birth of America, our nation has been debated as one of the best countries in the world. From our freedoms to our military strength to our boundless opportunities, America has almost always been a great place to be. Our history shows a few rough patches, but we have gotten through them and become a stronger nation because of it. However, how is a person defined as being an American? How do you know when you are an American? When it comes to being American, there are many ways that a person can define it. How a person knows they are American is totally up to them. Thoughts and feelings as well as legal processes can contribute to the identity of an American, although a few things really define a person as an American. I think that to be an American, one should understand the American tradition, have a sense of patriotism because of our history, and understand that other people and nations do not have the opportunities or abilities that we as Americans have.
As a citizen, I feel that my responsibility to America is to carry out all obligations to my government and to live in union with one another pledged to our nation by our three given values: freedom, liberty, and equality. Fortunately, our county does every possible thing they can to make sure that it’s people are protected. Because we are protected entirely, we must make it essential to implement any requirement of the government, such as paying taxes, respect and obey all laws, and serving in the army. When achieving these requirements, you are portraying your commandment to not only your country but your government as well. On a much higher note, the main focus as a citizen is to be sure to always have a voice when it comes to how our nation
In the movie Starship Troopers, there are two classes of people, Civilians and Citizens. What are the differences? Citizens are the men and women, rich or poor that serve in the Federal Service; service guarantees citizenship. This is a short period in which a person serves in the military. A universal service that requires young (Americans) citizen, men and females: healthy and the disable, to obligatory serve an allotment of time. Basically, you have to earn the right to be called a citizen; this sounds like a good idea. Civilians do not have same rights as a Citizen; they choose not to serve in the Federal Service. If a person does not serve, he or she are not allowed the same benefits like, to vote or have children; if you don’t serve
In 1776, a semi-unified country signed one of the most important documents in history. Since then the nation has shown signs of how different the country was from 1776 to the present. The Declaration of Independence is based on the social contract theory of government and is focused on equality, freedom, and power.These values have been both supported and contradicted in American history (Jefferson, pg.443).
When hurricanes tear through a state and wreak havoc on all of the cities and towns, more people than just the ones residing there are affected. As soon as the warning is sent out about a hurricane, the phones begin to ring. Parents worried about children, brothers checking on sisters, and friends looking out for friends. No matter the relation, everyone seems to be asking the same question: “Are you okay?” Almost everyone can say that they’ve made a call or sent a text down to someone in Florida or Texas in the last month, myself included. When I heard the devastating news about hurricane Irma the first word out of my mouth were, “Is grandma Great okay?” Harriett Keyser, my 105 year old great grandma, lives on Anna Maria Island in
R.E.M. ....Religious, educational and moral values. These are the three values that affect society today the most, I think. Society may look down on people if they do not live by what society thinks is correct. For example if a persons values are corrupt then society will look down on that person, but if a person has real high morals then society will think that they are fake of just a “goodie”. In society today you will be looked down anyway your moral beliefs are.
A question most fascinating to me is where in history does the first hint of American ideals and identities originate from? If we were to look at where the fiery passions of an American identity first arise we have to look to where the colonists first fought for their right to be a recognized citizen of America. American colonists formed their identity through the ideas of liberty, resistance to unfair British jurisdiction, and cultural diversity. Their identities formed between the Seven Years War and the American Revolutionary War as these two events deeply brought out what the colonist’s ideals were and what they fought for so passionately. Between these years 1763 and 1775 we see the first American ideals being born in the colonies. An example of such ideals is the want and need for Liberty. A reason for wanting liberty was that British control suppressed the lives of the people living in America and over time grew harder for colonists to live with. Americans are revered to have a passionate patriotic view of their country and this is true as it is seen throughout history but in my research I will try to explain where these ideals first arose.
Back in the 19th century, there was a common belief that God had destined The United States to expand entirely across the North American continent, and eventually across the entire Western Hemisphere. They believed that what they were doing was justifiable, because they believed that God was telling them to do this. It had a huge impact on who America is today as a country and if the expansion had not occurred, it is easy to believe that America would not be the thriving and successful country that it is now. There were many positive sides to Manifest Destiny such as; America was successful in expanding its land from the east to the west coast, which is a positive, because it allowed many people to come to America who otherwise would not have had the chance because there would have been no room for any more people. Another positive side is that it gave America a lot more culture than it had before. But if there is a positive side, that means there has to be a negative side. One of the negative sides to Manifest Destiny and territorial expansion was that they did whatever they could possibly do to get that land and they did not care who it hurt, killed, or negatively affected in the process. This is the reason why so many people debate whether or not manifest destiny was a good or a bad thing, because there are valid reasons for both sides.
During the early 1900’s, The United States government was ruled by white men that have captivated the American patriotism. The patriotism of the American society was greatly enchanted by the white superiors wanting to establish a strong American values and culture. The era of the time gave little hopes and dreams of living in a land that its purpose was to give the opportunities to all newcomers. However it was a different scenario among the Mexican American community. The Mexican communities within the United States are force to adapt to a new tradition due to the defeat of Mexican-American War. The Mexican government efforts to persuade its people to leave the United States were no effect because of their disloyalties to its government. From here on the Mexican-American community in the United States will decide its own self recognition of identity.
The United States of America, is a nation that people have risked everything to somehow be a part of. The rights and freedoms that are we given here are often taken advantage of, because we don’t know how blessed we truly are. This nation was founded on the idea of freedom, that we as people, are given natural rights that from birth and by God we have. If I was to define what America means to me I would say perseverance, success, equality, and freedom. All of those adjectives might just seem that they are nothing except for words, but they mean something much more.
The Aztecs and Inca people had many issues and concerns when they came in contact with the European people. In this essay I will be comparing the issues, and concerns of Aztec and Inca cultures to their contacts with the Europeans. Some of the issues that I will be discussing are from the time period that covered roughly the 1400’s to roughly around the 1500’s. The Aztecs were American Indian people who ruled a mighty empire in Mexico from the 1400’s to 1500’s. In the late fourteenth century, the Inkas were a very small community in the area of Cuzco, a city located at an altitude of 10,000 feet in the mountains of Southern Peru (Pg. 181, Dukier). The lives of the people in these two cultures were forever
Since the creation of the United States, the meaning of freedom has changed to meet changing attitudes. Throughout our nation’s history, there have been significant periods of racial, economic and civil rights inequalities. There are different meanings for freedoms that have been established throughout the historical period of the United States. During this modern era, the US had certain periods of time that lived up to the ideals of freedom such as the Gilded Age. In opposition, the US has also had periods of time where our ideals of freedom failed to meet the requirements of our nation, a prime example being the late 1940s when the US entered the Cold War and led to the anti-communism period of McCarthyism which ultimately restricted
Being American is more than just living between the blurred lines of red, white, and blue but defining how civility, humility, and inclusion helps mesh what is great about the United States of America. We take our liberties to be infinite and without protest when opposition does not infringe upon one's livelihood, but shroud those protections when a sector of the population brings light to injustice. Running to our comfort zones when the judgement is a burden or too difficult will never facilitate change, but will just harbor the resentment of the marginalized while muffling their cries. Can we really accept the love of our country if we refuse to understand one another's differences?
The America I Believe in, is one that stands proud in the fire. One that stands strong and brave in the rain. I believe in an America that comes together in the darkest of times, one that stays unbroken and strong in the hardest of days. A place where you are safe, and can chase your dreams, speak your mind, and live life to the fullest. A place that our troops protect so dearly.