What It Means To Be an American

Being an American is awesome. I feel that I am part of the best country in the whole wide world and feel that we all are blessed with so much freedom in our everyday lives. Many people in the United States are used to hearing themselves as an “American”, but they do not associate it with privilege anymore. Everyone uses the word so often, but they barely know what it means. Many people hate the fact that they live in this country, and they never take the time to realize how blessed they are to live in America. These people are blind to the fact that many others around the world would give anything to be in their shoes, ready for the opportunity to succeed and start a new life.
People in the United States take the freedom this country has to offer for granted. They don’t realize what kinds of freedoms they really have and how unique they are compared to the rest of the world. The word that clearly describes “American” is “Free”. It does not mean that an American can obtain free food, a free car or a free home. Instead it means that a person living in the United States is free to make their own decisions, such as choosing who will run the country. In the United States of America, the people have freedom of speech, religion, the right to vote, the right to keep and bear arms, and ability to travel where and when they want. Here in this country we can decide how to live our lives, without the government breathing down our necks telling us what to do. We can speak our minds about a certain injustice or write about controversial things that many people deem unconstitutional or politically incorrect. In the United States, we have an opportunity to serve our country. We have the chance to give back something to a country that has given us so much. We aren’t forced into the military service, but rather we have a choice whether or not we want to serve. Here in the United States, we are truly blessed with so much. I believe being an American means that we are all part of something truly special and we as Americans carry a certain sense of pride in our country. Freedom of speech and the freedom of religion are prohibited in many countries around the globe but Americans have fought to obtain these rights. America was formed on the idea that religion and speech should not be controlled by the government. Being able to speak out about an injustice is very important for the overall health of a nation. People will always continue to be people. They will lie and cheat to get more and more power. In the United States, we are able to see that and write or speak about it without fear of any retaliation. We have a right to say our minds, a right to say whats on our heart. If someone is the government is doing something that is unconstitutional or illegal, we can say or write whatever we want about it without the fear of being punished.
When the North American colonies were formed in the early seventeenth centuries, people from Europe braved the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean and made their way to the New World where they could practice whatever religion they wanted to. Although The Pledge of Allegiance states that we are “one nation under God” people have the right to choose what religion they wish to practice. Yet, if they choose not to take part in any religion and not to serve any God, they are free to choose and practice what they believe. People are not and will not be prosecuted for their beliefs. Nobody is marginalized because their opinion in religion might be different than others. This is a founding principle of our nation.
In this country we have a right to keep and bear arms, made possible by the second amendment. The second amendment to the constitution, passed in 1791 along with the rest of the bill of rights, made it so the people of this country could “have the right to keep and bear arms”. It is nice to live in a country that permits us to bear arms for ourselves. In many countries