What Is a True American

What is a true American?

Categorizing Americans is possible in many different ways. But a way to categorize Americans is by a person's love for their country. Two extremes stand out, love and hate. From the insane, flag waving American to the domestic terrorist, and with many categories in between. We start with domestic terrorists, the people who just live here, the people who are proud to live here, the people who will happily celebrate the Fourth of July, the people who think it's the Fourth of July every day, those who lead and fight for America in hope of a greater future, the people who support those who fight for America and then back to the insane, flag waving Americans. To simplify these categories even more, let's cut them down into four groups: the terrorists, the civilians/supporters, the protectors, and the leaders. These four categories can exist because each of the previously listed categories can be separated into the four groups. While it seems that most people fall into the more positives categories, some people, however, don't see America as a place worth living in. To be a true American, one must support and love the country and seek out the best interests for America.

The worst type of American is the terrorists. Terrorism has always been around. But it became a prevalent issue after the September 11th attacks. Citizens tend to associate the word terrorism to foreign countries, but that is not always the case. There is an event called domestic terrorism. Frank Schmalleger, the author of Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction defines domestic terrorism as, "the unlawful use of force or violence by a group or an individual who is based and operates within the United States and its territories without foreign direction and whose acts are directed at elements of the U.S. government or population." For example, in 1995, anti-government extremists bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma. That incident left hundreds dead, including children who had been at the daycare center. This act shows that no matter how much a government or society works to make America great in everyone's eyes, someone will always be unhappy with the results. It's unfortunate, but people who hate America exist and seek the hurt it. Fortunately, few Americans fall into that category.

The next type of American luckily falls into a happier category. Most of the American population falls in the civilian/supporter category. The average civilian does not look to inflict harm upon America, and supports the growth and change of the country. Yes, civilians still protest when they feel an action by the government or organization is wrong. But a picket line is better than a bomb. Every civilian in America has the right to protest peacefully. It is one of the many rights American citizens are guaranteed. It is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, namely in the Bill of Rights. The Constitution is a document unique to America. It was drawn up by an honorable group of men who realized that true freedom cannot exist while America was under British control, but that a form of order was still needed. Those men, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Hancock to name a few, fell into American history because of their efforts to create freedom, and they succeeded. It is why people feel the need to come to America from other countries. Because we have a document that will free people from tyranny and give them opportunities they couldn't have in their home country. People crave being American civilians because even people from other nations support our country. The other aspect of this category, supporter, refers to the support show by civilians to those who fight, protect, and lead this country. It could mean showing support to the president or local government. It also means showing support to the soldiers who put their lives on the line for America.