What are the key characteristics that define an American?
Is it the spirit of independence, self-reliance, and the belief in personal responsibility for one’s future and success?
Or is it the idea of the “American Dream,” which asserts that anyone can achieve success through hard work and determination, regardless of their background?
Can someone truly be considered an American without a sense of patriotism, national pride, and loyalty to the Constitution and the flag?
Are these values as quintessentially American as apple pie?
During World War II, soldiers often said they were fighting for “mom and apple pie.”
During the American Revolution, what were the colonists fighting for? They were fighting for independence, liberty, economic freedoms, fundamental rights, and protection against tyranny and military control.
Out of the revolution, the many colonies became one—E Pluribus Unum, the motto chosen by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to symbolize the united colonies of states.
From that unity, the Declaration of Independence boldly established the core of American identity, proclaiming,
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
At the heart of every American is the unwavering vow expressed in the Pledge of Allegiance: 🇺🇸
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.”
Do you hold these truths to be self-evident and honor your pledge of allegiance to the flag—indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all?
If you do, then you are as American as apple pie.
If not, then you may be seen as un-American and lacking patriotic values, and you may need to reflect on the sacrifices made by the forefathers and foremothers.
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