Yesterday I had written a short piece for my social media, regarding the current state of American society - primarily based on the ever-increasing plethora of social media posts. It was also inspired to create the photograph that you see here. This question is not a unique question. It was actually one asked, and photographically documented by Dorothea Lange when she was commissioned by the Farm Bureau to document (for propaganda purposes) the internment of the Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
I think about this a lot. I remember the reaction from my European friends after 9/11 and our invasion to Iraq - they used the phrase American in a disapproving manner. How could we take the world’s sorrow and sympathy and turn it into an American arrogance. Or when someone says an action is “unamerican” like rioting the capitol.
I of course identify as an American and it’s not because I was born here and have a passport and pay taxes - for me it the ideal of the great American experiment- a people self governed. Where all “men” are created equal ... the pursuit of happiness...and so forth I think being an American, to me, is living everyday with those ideas as a guiding force. Our history tells us we have a long way to go. That in executing these ideas is not perfect. It’s the effort of trying that makes us American. We are not perfect but I am optimistic we can continue to be American.
Richard, first of all thank you for taking the time to comment.
This is an aspect of "being an American" that I had not considered, and a pointless that I find incredibly valuable to the discussion. You make reference to the "great American experiment", which is a term that I have not heard for quite some time. It reminded me that "America" is just that - an experiment that was established in those early days of debating by our forefathers. They were putting forth something that had not been done before - [to this extent], which is a federalist government.
You have sparked much internal dialog within me, and I can already feel it consuming me. Thank you...
I think about this a lot. I remember the reaction from my European friends after 9/11 and our invasion to Iraq - they used the phrase American in a disapproving manner. How could we take the world’s sorrow and sympathy and turn it into an American arrogance. Or when someone says an action is “unamerican” like rioting the capitol.
I of course identify as an American and it’s not because I was born here and have a passport and pay taxes - for me it the ideal of the great American experiment- a people self governed. Where all “men” are created equal ... the pursuit of happiness...and so forth I think being an American, to me, is living everyday with those ideas as a guiding force. Our history tells us we have a long way to go. That in executing these ideas is not perfect. It’s the effort of trying that makes us American. We are not perfect but I am optimistic we can continue to be American.
Richard, first of all thank you for taking the time to comment.
This is an aspect of "being an American" that I had not considered, and a pointless that I find incredibly valuable to the discussion. You make reference to the "great American experiment", which is a term that I have not heard for quite some time. It reminded me that "America" is just that - an experiment that was established in those early days of debating by our forefathers. They were putting forth something that had not been done before - [to this extent], which is a federalist government.
You have sparked much internal dialog within me, and I can already feel it consuming me. Thank you...