Did we forget what it was to be an American? What does it really mean to you?

Question

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Does the Statue of Liberty still express American views today?

We ignore our problems, fail to exercise our rights to vote (more people voted for american idol than our last president), we push aside those who do not agree with us, and we fail help those who truely need our help.

In this age, we look at our tired, our poor, and tell them to get a job. So many look away from the homeless, because they dont want to be asked for their spare change...

Answer 1

Did we forget what it means to be an American?, or did we ever know what it means to be an American? I think the latter is true and the former is what everyone was taught to believe. The answers to all of our problems, somehow, seem to exist in how we lived in the past, or what we will do in the future, when ,sadly, we are always living in the present. The now is when we solve our problems and the now is when we experience those problems, like immigration. What I feel that we need to understand is that almost all of the information that we are using too see what our situation is comes not from investigation, or from common sense, but from the corporate media, that is owned and controlled by those whose only desire is to control us in order to profit from our stupidity. Time too think again!

Answer 2

What was the purpose of those huddled masses coming here? Was it to live off the wealth of the rich?

When that quote was first put on the statue of liberty, people were coming here for freedoms to live the lives they could not where they came from. It is the liberty they are after. People are free to be homeless if they want. I am also free to deny they my wealth if I do not want to give it to them. Besides, how many of them really NEED help? I have an aunt that employes mentally handicapt adults in a facility where they tear newspaper into strips to be used as packing in boxes. How many people out there on Skid Row are not able to do this? The problem is, they do not want to, or are not willing to find a job.

As bad and as mean as it may sound, they have the right to be a bum. They have the right to die alone in some alley because they refuse to get a job and support themselves like the vast majority of America. Besides that, Is there really no help out there for them?

Answer 3

An American respects and loves our constitution.The written constitution. Not the one the activists are creating. Everyone knows the meaning of "for public use". Our constitution is under attack through precedents that twist the true meaning of the documents that made this country great. All Americans who love this country should protect the original written founding documents.

Answer 4

Wonderful, someone understands what being a true American is all about. I think being an American means you better pay your taxes or suffer severe consequences, that is all it means to me. Maybe I'm just another spoiled American, whos to say. That is the worst thing I've ever heard anyone say, me. You feel it is ok for you to glutten yourself with wealth while mentally handicapped people scrimp out a living, tearing up newspapers! Thats awful. I wish you were born with a handicap, and into poverty, I bet you would feel a little differently about it then. Cold hearted, money grubbing people here in America. People pay into social security for a reason, not so wealthy government officials can steal their money! Most people who receive disability paid for it, have you ever considered that? They are not bums! : )

Answer 5

Being American to me means that because we have so many great freedoms, we also have great responsibilities for ourselves, our families, and our fellow citizens whether they live with us in a town of 25 or 250,000.
We have a responsibility to help those who wish to be legal citizens, and also a civic responsibility to the rest of us to protect our social infrastructure against those that would simply come here to get "benefits" and not pay in to the systems.
Just sitting back and complaining that the Mexicans or any other distinct group is invading us, is tantamount to not caring.
Each of us needs to contact our elected officials and let them know how we feel and give honest opinions as to how to fix the problems.
BTW, a "fence" didn't work for China, Why does bush jr. think it will work now?

Answer 6

ok. i'm with ya. Now what? First, we ought to outline what 'vulnerable' ability. i'm no longer waiting to call us vulnerable. perplexed? honestly. Divided? no question. i do no longer think of its that we don't comprehend what we advise as quickly as we are saying 'remember 9-11' this is that all of us advise something diverse. that it is going to likely be remembered, can't be helped. What concerns me is how that reminiscence is communicated to our infants. have been we harmless? have been we complicit? Did our government do it? Did we deserve it? have been we asleep on the wheel? Are we giving the the remainder of humanity too lots credit for humanity? Are we coping with a faith or a pathology? Are we on our very own? ought to we attack? ought to we isolate? ought to we accomodate or appease? Is existence as we've prevalent it over, can this is restored? ought to this is restored? can we outline what the ethical extreme floor is? can we win an asymetrical conflict with super customary forces or can we combat fire with fire? i ought to bypass on and on. this is all new. this is totally complicated. the international has never been confronted with this previously. Even the definition of 'international conflict' has replaced. it's going to be an prolonged time previously we set up standards for prognosis. till then, we are able to proceed to ask your self, what's meant with the aid of what's declared.

Answer 7

Being an American means that I'm free to say what I want. It also means that to use that right wisely, I have to be well informed, and to express my thoughts clearly I have to study grammar and writing.

Too many people today haven't studied history enough to know how precious our freedoms are, how many people fought and died to protect them, and how easy it would be for conniving-but-charismatic leaders to take them away from an ill-informed or apathetic public.

Answer 8

Some of them are tired of being told...

"You owe them".

Can't blame them.

Still, I'm glad you're speaking up. It means being a patriot. That may mean protesting (respectfully), or running off to war.

It means putting our country ahead of my personal ideology.

It means never confusing sedition for legitimate dissent.

It means treating my representatives respectfully, even while I'm escorting them to their trials for crimes or impeaching them.

It means not being bigoted toward half the nation because they disagree with you.