American Values

I had a writing promt from my American Literature class, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and write it early and have my blog post done as well. It's not a very interesting read, but there were quite a few guidelines to meet that killed some of the freedom of writing it.

Unique but United

          When America won independence in 1776, its founding fathers believed in freedom, justice, rights, and hard work. These values are still alive today, and can be attributed to America's prosperity and strength. A new nation brought immigrants with different religions, beliefs, cultures, and languages all looking to build a life in this new land. Although there was much diversity, it was the united mentality of working to achieve something bigger that kept people together.

          There is no one right way to describe what an American is... they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, with their own languages, religions, and morals. To try and label an American as one certain thing, is essentially, to contradict the true meaning of what it is to be an American. America is about being diverse, with the freedom to live as you choose so long as you respect the rights of others. It is this approach of living mostly in peace with one another that unites this country. An American is whatever they want to be... with hard work and determination, they determine how best to live up to their definition.

          American citizenship grants you a number of privileges that many people could only dream of. United States citizens have the right to speak as they wish, practice their religion, write, petition, bear arms, and organize a militia just to name a few. As these are the rights America was founded on, exercising these rights is essential to maintaining them. Without the initiative to put your rights to use, you may as well not have them at all. A large part of what it means to be an American is to acknowledge that your rights are privileges and to exercise them and stand up to anything that may compromise them.

          Your rights come with, not only a responsibility to take advantage of what you have, but to have a willingness to fight for them. Nationalism can have negative connotations, but when used in moderation and for the right reasons, it ultimately strengthens a country. Loyalty is what keeps a country united, and in order to have rights and freedoms, loyalty is indispensible. In order to preserve what we love, we must defend it.

          Americans cannot be defined by any basic characteristics, but by their actions and sense of unity. Without unity and the sense of duty to defend what we have, we never would have been able to make it this far. This country is a place of diversity and freedom, which shines through into the souls and values of the American citizen.