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More handpicked essays just for you.
Importance of freedom to speech
Importance of freedom to speech
Importance of freedom to speech
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What does it mean to be an American? To me, what it means to be American is to Pledge Allegiance to your country, to proudly boast that you live in a country that has a justification for existence, to be given opportunity. Although there are many definitions of what it means to be an American, does being an American really just mean being successful in society? The point of this essay is to describe the different meanings and my feelings of what it is to be “American”. As recited by former Governor of Minnesota, “There is much more to being a patriot and a citizen than reciting the pledge or raising a flag”. To pledge allegiance to the flag means to take a patriotic vow, that you will do everything in your power to fight to protect and keep the freedoms that you have been blessed with, safe. I believe that if you pledge allegiance to the …show more content…
Everyone in America is given an opportunity to pursue any dream that his or her heart so desires. He or she will give it little importance, sometimes knowing or not knowing that it’s a once in a lifetime chance. In America, some people are given equal opportunity and some aren’t. Usually given at a favorable occasion, opportunity is something that can change an Americans life for a short or long term. Me being an American, if I was given an opportunity to make my life better, I would take it, but it is up to you as an person in America to make the best use of it. In conclusion, everyone has the chance for themselves to make their own definition what it means to be an American. Having the American Dream, otherwise being successful, you can choose how you view being American. As I have previously explained in this essay, I believe being American means that you are a proud patriot of your country and show some type of position in your country, having a voice in your country and using your liberties promised to you by the government. What is your definition of being an
In John McCain’s essay “Veterans Day: Never forget their duty” he talks about his friend ,Mike, who was in the same prison camp as he was in and showed the pride that he and his fellow prisoners had for their flag. The American Flag is the most iconic symbol of America and to express pride for The American Flag is to show pride in America itself. On page 7 paragraph 8 “Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang MIke’s shirt on the wall of our cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know that saying the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important or meaningful part of our day now, but I can assure you that for those men in that stark prison cell, it was, indeed, the most important and meaningful event of our day”. John McCain shares with us that the most important part of their day was to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
What does it mean to be an American? Being an American is much more than the idea of freedom and money. Everyone has their own version of the American Dream as expressed by poets, musicians, and even authors. I believe the American Dream is still possible because it takes hard work and dedication to be able to achieve what you want. I also believe the American Dream is starting from the bottom and working your way up to something more, something better. Below are a few of America’s voices from the great melting pot.
America has always been looked at as “The New World” where people from all over come to fulfil their dreams. Their dreams may not have been exceptional, but only to have enough to survive, have a house where their children could be raised and feel free and protected. Now, according to Webster’s online dictionary Americanism is defined as a custom, trait, belief, etc., peculiar to the United States of America or its citizens, but to me it means so much more.
Americans can cherish their freedom of expression and are part of a diverse culture. An American is someone who would embrace freedom and liberty. Overall, to be an American, it is crucial to embrace the culture and become a part of it disregarding where you were born.
An American is someone who is free to do whatever whenever he wants. He is someone who doesn't care about who judges him or what people think. All he cares about is his version of the American dream. His version may be different from everyone else's but an American has the freedom to be different in whatever way he wants to. This is what an American is.
...r chance to come to America. With determination and hope too will come to America and became United States citizens. Realizing how hard people work to get freedoms and decent educations makes me realize how lucky I am to live in America. Freedom has allowed me to live without very many boundaries, while education gives me the chance to pursue my dreams and job choices. American Dreams are different for everyone but they all are important. “If you can dream it, you can achieve it” this quote perfectly defines the American Dream, because with hope, determination, and persistence we can achieve anything.
Being an American has a big picture that can be described in many ways. Personally, being an American is to achieve everything; however, the person next to you may have a different opinion about it. In history, America has been attracting immigrants from different parts of the world to live the full freedom and opportunity. To be an American means much more than living in the United States is to be able to expand the beliefs one has. That is why people view the American Dream.
What does it mean to be an American? Over the years the answer to this question has varied so much, depending on the culture and influences of that particular time. Yet, I believe that what makes us truly an American is something that never changes with the decades. It isn’t like a fad, or the type of music that is most popular, being an American has to do with something so much deeper than that. So what makes a person American? I think that in order to properly answer this question we have to break it up into smaller, more easy questions to answer. So, let’s merely start with defining the word, American. According to Oxford Dictionaries as an adjective,
The definition of an American, is someone who is a citizen of the United States. Many African Americans, and immigrants struggled to become actual Americans in their lifetimes, because others didn 't see them as actual people; and based it on the color of someone. In today 's world people who live in America consider themselves as Americans, but to me there is certain qualities that make a person an American. To me being a true American is not based off of what Country they were born in, or what race their parents are, or even if they were immigrated to the United States. People from all over the world would say that maybe people could base this off of someone 's family heritage, or where they were before they came to America. If you were asked what makes an American an American what would you base it off of? To me there are four specific characteristics that make a person a true American; those three things would be, freedom, individuality, belief in the country, and happiness.
Life in America is sweet and it is easy to succeed. America has ample resources to support the growth of its citizens especially young people. This enviable country, The United States, rewards hard work and high achievers are encouraged to chase their dreams. I thought that being here was a big opportunity, that I should take advantage of it. In my family, education comes first, without an education, your chances of succeeding are slim. My mom always told me, "Work hard now and enjoy later," meaning if I put in the work now I will reap the benefits later. Through my upbringing, I gained my own understanding of what the American dream is. To me, the American dream means that one can succeed and reach the highest level of achievement if one puts one’s mind to it. No one is in your way but yourself; you either do what you need to do to be successful or you stay dormant and not accomplish anything in life. Not only do you have to make the first step but you have to be able to stay to hang in there when the going gets tough. Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts" (Churchill By Himself, 2011). Churchill (2011) also
Many people have asked the question, and many others have been asked, ‘What is the greatest country in the world?’ Or, if you live in America, ‘Why is America the greatest country in the world?’ Many people answer this by saying things such as freedom, our education, diversity, etc., while others may say the people who live here, namely, Americans. Yet few are able to sufficiently answer the next question, ‘What makes a person an American?’ Many will say that living here makes you an American. Yet they seem to forget about the thousands, if not millions, of illegal immigrants that are living in our country. Are they Americans just because they are living in our country? Our federal government does not agree, which is why we have several laws concerning the deportation of illegal immigrants. Others, who see past the simple idea of living here as a means of being an American, may say that your characteristics help to define you as an American. Yet the most agreeable answer would be a combination of the two. An American would be someone who lives in America legally, and also holds within themselves various characteristics, which among these include an over-abundance of confidence,
What makes a person an american? What is an American? Is it someone who votes for the president? Is it someone who takes a stand in what they believe in? People have very different views on what makes an American. It could be the people that fight for our safety. It could be the people that help make a home safe. It may even be a person who fights for themselves. What makes a person an American is not living in the united states. There are plenty of people that have migrated to America, and have the same believes as any U.S citizen. Each person in this hectic world have their own views politically, socially, and emotionally, but that doesn’t make someone an American. What I have seen in my life what makes a person an American, are these three qualities, integrity, gratitude, and power.
J. Hector St. Hon de Crevecoeur, a French aristocrat, defines what it means to be American in his collection of essays directed to the American people. By utilizing extended metaphor, rhetorical questions, and a prideful sentiment, he successfully conveys his uplifting definition of American.
The concept of identity is central to the conception of self. National identity is something that became increasingly important as the world became more integrated, as the various cultures of the world began to interact. The culture of the individual is thereby a concept that is constructed both internally and externally through interactions with one’s country and also the world around it. Herein, the concept of the American identity will be explored related to the period of 1870 to 1930. As will be demonstrated, over the course of this period, American identity became a concept that was particularly difficult to achieve for African Americans given the lingering racial tension and racism lingering from the Civil War.
In America, the people often try to define themselves under one description. They say the words "I am American" and are sure that the meaning behind that sentence can be applied to all that are citizens in this country. However, to be American is different for everyone. In the excerpt from