What Makes a Citizen an American

[DBW]

As a naturalized US citizen (I'm from Canada originally) I'm dismayed at the ignorance many of my fellow countrymen exhibit with regards to our nation's founding documents. When Michele Bachmann (R- MN) asked Geithner and Bernanke as shown here to point out where in the Constitution that the Treasury and the Federal Reserve got their authority. Geithner, when pressed by Congresswoman Bachmann seemed to be at a complete loss as to what she was asking.

Since I travel the country as a trucker I'm meet a wide spectrum of people. One of my "hobbies" is engaging my fellow citizens in political discussion about those documents. So few know that our founding document is the Declaration of Independence and that the "rule book" for the central government is the Constitution. Few have ever heard of the Articles of Confederation. When I ask folks who created the central government most folks don't know that it was the individual sovereign States. Even fewer understand that rights come from our Creator and not government.

It's disheartening to say the least. I believe that in order for a citizen to call him or herself an American, they should at the very least know about and understand the basics of our founding documents. To be an American is to embrace the principles, philosophies and ideals of the Founding Fathers. To know what it was they envisioned for the United States. To understand the struggles they endured to throw off tyranny and fight for Liberty.

Americans view the Constitution for what it is... a limit on what the government can do to the people. And that the people have no limits and do not answer to the government.

Citizens that remain ignorant and make no effort to read and understand these documents are not Americans. They are nothing but mere citizens.

[JReed]

I think the Question should be what makes an American a Citizen? I am right there with you I am constantly amazed by the ignorance of my felow Americans

[Otto]

I think there are alot of people who were born and raised here, who are not Americans.

I also think there are alot of people all over the world, who have never set foot on US soil, whom I consider Americans. Because they get it. They may not know much about US history, or be well-versed in the specifics of the Constitution or Declaration of Independence, but they understand, and believe in, and cling to, the principles upon which those documents are based.

[Sixgun]

DBW,
Well said. The problem is that we are a dying breed. The important lessons like our Founding Fathers history, the Revolution, and decent morals are no longer taught in school. Kids grow up gimme-gimme-gimme and become dependant upon society and government. That and the influx of third world refugees who could care less about our heritage and are more interested in "what they can get" dooms us all as the once greatest and most moral nation on Earth.

Lets become un-pc. Personally, for me, a great American is one who despises anyone with a turban on their head. THEY aim to clean us out. We need to fight fire with fire. -----------Sixgun

[Bear 45/70]

They elected Klinton and then obama, are you really surprise at their collective ignorance?

[Old Time Hunter]

I whole heartedly agree with you DBW. Still can't figure out what I am...born in Straford, Ont in the earlier half of the '50s to a mother, born in the USA from parents (my grandparents) born in Ontario (one in Mitchell, the other in Perth township) and my father who was born in the USA. Guess I could straddle the line and vote in both!

[mklwhite]

I think the Question should be what makes an American a Citizen? I am right there with you I am constantly amazed by the ignorance of my felow Americans

You beat me to it. I read the topic and that is exactly what I thought. One time, several years back, I thought I'd joke around ans be a smart@$$ and started asking some co-workers and other how many states are there in the United States. I was expecting the answer "50" and I was going to go for "Nope 46. 4 are common wealths!"... Well as it turned out I had to ask a lot of people in order to get the answer I expected. Some said 48, some 52. I was hoping the "48" crowd was thinking in the contiguous, but usually they weren't. Then I started asking religious questions to some who were very in-your-face Christians with similar results. I stopped asking questions after a while. It just wasn't funny anymore.

[Otto]

I think the Question should be what makes an American a Citizen? I am right there with you I am constantly amazed by the ignorance of my felow Americans

You beat me to it. I read the topic and that is exactly what I thought. One time, several years back, I thought I'd joke around ans be a smart@$$ and started asking some co-workers and other how many states are there in the United States. I was expecting the answer "50" and I was going to go for "Nope 46. 4 are common wealths!"... Well as it turned out I had to ask a lot of people in order to get the answer I expected. Some said 48, some 52. I was hoping the "48" crowd was thinking in the contiguous, but usually they weren't. Then I started asking religious questions to some who were very in-your-face Christians with similar results. I stopped asking questions after a while. It just wasn't funny anymore.

Sean Hannity (and Jay Leno before him) does "man on the street" pieces, wherein he asks passersby basic history, civics and current affairs questions. It is jaw-droppingly shocking how uninformed and misinformed people are.

[DBW]

I whole heartedly agree with you DBW. Still can't figure out what I am...born in Straford, Ont in the earlier half of the '50s to a mother, born in the USA from parents (my grandparents) born in Ontario (one in Mitchell, the other in Perth township) and my father who was born in the USA. Guess I could straddle the line and vote in both!

My mom was born in Holland and lived through Hitler's occupation. My father lived in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and because he was the son of citizens of Luxembourgh and Holland spend two years in a Japanese internment camp during the Japanese occupation. They came to Canada shortly after they got married in the '50's with my oldest sister and two older brothers. When I'm on the north side of the border Canada views me as a dual citizen... I can live, work and vote in Canada if I so choose. On this side of the border (the only one that counts)... I'm an American. I will die as an American.

I came to the US when I was young. I remember life in Canada and currently am married to a Canadian and hang around up there when I'm not out on the road. I became a citizen at the age of 14 and it was one of the proudest days of my life. To repay a debt I felt to this country I joined the Air Force and served as a military cop for four years. I took the oath to defend the Constitution and in my own little way continue to do that the best I can by educating people I talk to. Education is the key to getting this nation back on track. Sadly I think though it's a lost cause because to many generations of citizens haven't learned the truth in school or by their lazy parents (who ultimately are to blame).

The point of my post (other than to get the thought out there) is that to be an American is to be blessed by the Creator. People around the world since our nation's founding have always viewed America as the beacon of Liberty. When they came here, they embraced Liberty. They made sure that their children understood that it is We the People who own our own selves and not some monarch, dictator or petty tyrant. Too many citizens in this country don't view themselves as owners of themselves but believe that they must obey government. And it frustrates me so much that people are willing to enslave themselves... hence the quote in my signature line.

To be an American is a state of mind. Anybody can be a citizen. Being whelped on United States soil does not make one an American. Embracing the founding documents for the truths they convey is what makes a person an American. I would gladly have others from around the world who "get it" come here and send those millions of ignornant citizens to some other place where the government can babysit them from cradle to grave. I want to be surrounded by Americans... not ignorant pissant welfare whores.

[AJMD429]

One of our worst mistakes has been government-run education. Several things seem glaringly deficient which a couple generations were 'common knowledge' - among them:

• the difference between a democracy and a republic (and why America is the latter)
  the principles of supply and demand
  the difference between capitalism and communism
  the difference between free-market and socialist economies
  the separation of powers & how the three branches of government are supposed to interact
  the purpose of the Bill of Rights - including the Second Amendment
  the difference between crime and vice as matters of state and church, respectively
  and so on...

...but college kids these days know lots of scientific facts of relatively recent discovery, so assume anyone born before 1960 in an imbecile, therefore we should let these arm-chair rulers try to 'fix' our world, using dangerous and outdated ideas they think are 'new' because they evidently never took history or social studies seriously. I get sick of wet-behind-the-ears kids destroying our society with their ridiculous ideas for 'change' - yet none of them can even frame an intelligent description of Austrian vs. Keynesian economics - but boy they sure know what is good for the rest of us dummies!

[Ysabel Kid]

I have found that many people who convert to a faith are stronger in that faith than those born into it. This is often the case with naturalized citizens versus those who were born here, especially whose ancestors for many generations have been born here. Not all mind you, but unfortunately many "Americans" simply have no concept of how unique our experiment in personal liberty truly is in the spectrum of history, and what was done, written and said to establish this way of life. Personally, I'm in favor of having a lengthy and difficult history and economics test being a requirement before voting. It will never happen, because the left would never win another election...

[C. Cash]

A great history you have DBW and glad you made it here! There's alot of Americans of Native American, Hispanic and Asian descent who "get it" as well, having seen the other side. I've had the honor of serving with many them in the US Army. I guess it was my prejudice as I just assumed they would be for the Left, but I was shocked when coming through the Navajo Indian reservation recently(just before the election), to see countless signs everywhere denouncing the Socialistas and true Conservative sentiments expressed....brought a tear to my eye(and hope?) to see it. May you all increase and continue to bless this great land of ours!

[Gun Smith]

Unfortunately kids in school today don't seem to have the "time" to learn the basics about this country as we did. I went to grammer school a little earlier than some of you, 1940's, and we were taught the old 3R's, "reading, writing and arithmetic". They definately don't teach grammer and math like they used too. We still had big time Civics in high school also. Just the dropout rate for kids from school today is sad.
As others have said, we are "dumbing down" are society today. What about tomorrow?

[JerryB]

I think that it is a sad day here in the USA that a few churches like mine and Fox news and this great forum is the only place this is even discussed.
We started revival last nite with an overflow crowd of folks from off around the country and five preachers preaching old time bible religion all week and old time American morals, and boy was the Holy Ghost Spirit heavy on us. There is still American pride alive but not as much it used to be.

[jeepnik]

I know a young fellow who knows very little about the founding of this country. He never was much of a history student, and probably can't even recite the preamble to the constitution.

The lower half of his right leg is still somewhere in Iraq. He "knows" what it is to be an American. While it would be great if everyone born and raised here, much less immigrating here knew all the ins and outs of our historical documents, it is not necessary to have memorized a single word. This young man is more of an "American" than all the constitutional scholars, who've never served, are put together.

Your try to tell him is isn't an "American" because he isn't a history buff, and he'll probably put his prosthetic foot up you hind quarters.

[Bear 45/70]

To be an American, all you have to do is be a citizen of any country in the Western Hemisphere. Being a citizen requires either birth or naturalization. Being a good citizen requires a lot more effort than being and American or a citizen.

[jeepnik]

Well said Bear.

[the telegraphist]

Dont want to take away from the thread fella's, but we got the same problems in Australia. Probably not a unique problem to the USA at all. Loads of migrants from all over the world clinging to their origins and not assimilating to the new freedoms here or the USA. For some unknown reason not wanting to learn. Or perhaps not being allowed to learn, who knows. They may have much to contribute and maybe stiffled. Reckon after years of suppression perhaps freedom is too big to handle,they are scared, looking over their shoulders. The education system perhaps needs to take it on board and deal more effectively.

[JustaJeepGuy]

Some of the most committed Leftists were educated in American schools when they actually EDUCATED people--back when a high-school education was a basis for a really good job. People like Alger Hiss (as an example) and all the other Soviet agents who worked in the US government in the 1930s were all born, raised, and educated in America. They could give the correct answers regarding the Declaration Of Independence and the Constitution, but they still worked to destroy them.