"We are an American family."

by: Natalie

I sit in my living room with "You've Got Mail" blaring through the TV. Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) and Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) are sensational. Joe brings in his two young family members, Annabelle and Matt, to Kathleen's store. Well, they get to talking and naturally Kathleen asks if the kids are Joe's. He says no, she is confused, and he explains, "Annabelle is my aunt. Matt is my father's son. Annabelle is my grandfather's daughter. We are an American family."

I love this quote because it is true. American families are not always traditional. And nontraditional families are not outcasts. This is what I love about America. I love that a 5 yr. old girl could potentially be a 40 yr. old's aunt. Strange, but kind of cool. 

Another thing is that family does not always mean your biological relatives. Your "family" can include your best friend and your neighbors. Those people may be closer to you than your blood relatives anyways. Family can mean whatever you want it to. The freedom to essentially choose family (to an extent of course) is rare and unique. Our country is not as family focused as some others, but it seems that we are certainly focused on our self-imposed families.

Maybe we're cold and impersonal, but perhaps we are closer than we are made out to be. 

So Way Back...

by: Mason

So way back in the 1700s, old King George was being a big jerk to his American colonies, taxing them to pay for his fancy imported wine and his collection of high tech gadgets. The colonists got wise to his sick scheme and wanted some good old-fashioned representation with their taxation. That’s why people say stuff about “taxation without representation.” The colonists weren’t fond of it.

Instead, they wanted their shillings and stuff to go to good use, so they threw a tea partay, because the tea was one of the absurdly-taxed items. They also threw stamp paloozas and sugar shindigs. This riled up the old tyrant so he sent over some troops to calm the raging colonists.

Fortunately, the colonists were wise to his sick scheme, and prepared a minute man militia. The Iroquois Indians taught them this technique, which involved the extensive use of barns and locks. With this newly gained ability to fox into the very ranks of the red coats without even being detected, the colonists whooped their butts and took America as their prize.

But the reason the colonists took America goes far deeper than hating taxes. On the contrary, they loved paying taxes, and were happy to pay them once the states were united. These Americans hated how their tax shillings were being spent. They wanted to see their tax shillings spent on their turf, where they could see the benefits and reap the rewards, not on some fat old king’s fancy parties.

The early Americans wanted not only to have their tax dollars spent on their turf. They wanted to decide for themselves what their taxes should be spent on. The representation they demanded was the representation of their desires in the spending of their tax money. Perhaps many people wanted a road paved connecting Boston to Philadelphia. In the days of old King George, the road would not get paved. It would just be a series of muddy wagon ruts connecting the series of cotton plantations between the two.

With complete control of taxes (they even changed their currency), the Americans could decide whether or not a road should be built, where it should be built (just pave the mud trail or make a direct route), and how to build it. They would spend some portion of their tax dollars on the supplies (they used slave labor) and get the job done.

With the road completed, commerce would increase (with imports of cream pie and cheese-steaks, higher gas sales, and the advent of motels), the states would grow closer, and millions of happy Americans would travel between Boston and Philadelphia, making a more perfect union.

I guess what I’m saying is: our founding fathers fought so that we could choose if we should be taxed, on what we should be taxed, and how we should spend our tax revenue – with the assumption that the choice the nation makes will be beneficial to itself. But just in case the nation chooses poorly, they made the nation a republic (representative) so that smart people (who we choose – that’s democracy!) can make a better choice.

The next time you come around criticizing our government for everything it’s doing wrong, think about how and why our nation was set up. It was designed to be controlled by the people. Don’t complain loudly like a belligerent fool! Go do some research and write an informed letter to your congressperson, and talk to your neighbors about doing the same. But you don’t have to take my word for it!

That old fat smelly tyrant jerk monarch King George would not give Americans the health care they so desperately needed. Fortunately for us, our founding fathers knew that one day, a president powerful enough to present the entire nation with effective health care would rise, and that day has come. Congratulations to America, and thanks to Barack Obama, for finally realizing the founding fathers’ dream! By 2018, our nation will be full, ripe, complete, and in all other ways telios!

Holidays

This past weekend I have spent a lot of time working on a list of American Holidays celebrated around the country. Granted, I do not know the validity of some of the holidays, but someone invented them and they have been landed on a calendar. I am not going to include the entire list of holidays yet (I found them on www.holidayinsights.com), because I am waiting for the launch of our website. HOWEVER, I will include some of my favorite from the list...

January 5: National Bird Day

January 28: National Kazoo Day

February 15: National Gum Drop Day

February 18: National Battery Day

March 1: National Pig Day

March 31: National Clam on the Half Shell Day

April 16: National High Five Day

April 17: National Cheeseball Day

May 5: National Hoagie Day

May 15: National Chocolate Chip Day

June 6: National Yo-Yo Day

June 25: National Catfish Day

July 14: National Nude Day

July 23: National Hot Dog Day

August 7: National Mustard Day

August 22: National Tooth Fairy Day

September 13: National Peanut Day

September 25: National Comic Book Day

October 23: National Mole Day

October 26: National Mincemeat Day

November 13: National Indian Pudding Day

November 15: National Philanthropy Day

December 17: National Maple Syrup Day

December 21: National Flashlight Day

As you can see there is a HUGE range of information. Sifting through the information I found National holidays, as well as Days (such as Lumpy Rug Day), World days (such as World Aids Day) and International celebrations. I intend to sift through these further and see if I can narrow it down to just the national holidays and go from there. Throughout the entire 2010 calendar there were only two dates that did not have something to celebrate.

Whoa. Bust out your party hats. It's time to celebrate.

Presentation = Success

by Sarah

This week I was working on a website for my parent's church. I found E-zekiel.com, a church website building program, to be quite the frustrating experience.

After loudly expressing my feelings on the matter to a roommate, I got to thinking about a) What exactly I didn't like about it and b) What a website needs to be successful and c) How presentation in America is everything.

So then,

a) The program is not intuitive or easy to navigate. There are invisible buttons, that do not appear until you scroll over them. Cool effect if you have an artsy website, but not helpful for the technically challenged church goer who was elected manager of the website.

b) In order for a website to be successful it has to have (at least):
- The facts - when, where, what
- Identity - who are these people and what are they about
- Professionalism - is the website clean, well organized, and interesting

c) Today, if you are a company, church or individual wanting business, advertisement, or just to get information out there - Presentation is EVERYTHING. Especially web presentation.

As I was explaining this to my mother, it hit me that this is an American thing. Our culture is driven by presentation. Why else do we have designer brands? Ridiculously priced sports cars? Jewelry stores up the wazoo? And web-building programs (however unintuitive they are) for churches?

But it's not just presentation. You could have a pretty terrible website that presents your business, church or yourself and still not get anymore business or attendants than before. Quality is important.

I would even go so far to say that the quality of the presentation determines the success. It is not longer satisfactory to just have a website - now it has to be cutting-edge, well-done, classy even.

All this to say, all you web designers out there, buff up on your skills, because the presentation of websites is taking the stage in American success.

Spoiled

by: Lia

I don’t know, maybe I see all that the American government lacks and all the negative things that come along with it, because I’m just spoiled.

Like a child that has grown up in privilege, being given almost anything they wanted, and lacking practically nothing, they focus their attention on what little they don’t have…A spoiled brat.

Perhaps I have lived with so much freedom and opportunity that I just take it for granted. Instead of looking at the wonderful things about being an American, and all the freedoms we have, that so many countries in the world only dream of having, I instead choose to look at what is still lacking.

I can’t even comprehend what citizens in other countries go through with a dictatorship and/or no real rights to speak of. There’s obviously a reason why people from other nations flock to America.

We might have a lot of issues we need to overcome, but when I really think about it, we are pretty blessed to have all that we do have.

I think both sides need to be able to look at the merits of each others arguments.
Some people are gung ho about America and believe that what America stands for and what it offers is amazing. That shouldn’t mean you don’t analyze our government and it’s ideals and point out ways in which change needs to occur.

On the other hand, those who disagree with American policy and corruption, need to take a second and see all the amazing things that America has to offer, and realize how fortunate we are to be living in a country that offers freedom and a chance for the people to make decisions.

When I say this, I am talking to myself as much as to anyone else. It’s easy to get stuck on the negative and notice what you don’t have, instead of stepping back and being grateful for what you do have.

Would America still be America without War?

by: Sarah

I'm driving through town and I see an American flag at half mast. Why? The word on the street is that a soldier died today. Someone local. There is a sense of mourning and heaviness in those words. Even if I didn't know him, I feel this loss.

How many bumper stickers have you seen on the topic of war. Cafepress has 38,800 war related bumper stickers for sale. When was the last time you bought a newspaper that didn't have at least one article on the topic of war? Google "Support our troops merchandise" This is making money. One website even has a "Patriotic Gazebo Decorating Kit"

What would happen if ever our country wasn't at war? There is so much time and money spent on war endeavors from the national level to little jelly bracelets saying, "Support our Troops". Where would all that money go? What would we do with all that time and energy? Is war at the heart of America?

John Lennon sang "All we are saying, is give peace a chance" . But what if we actually did? Brush aside all those doubts of if that could ever happen and think about it for a moment. We have such a momentum on the topic of war. What if that topic no longer existed. What would we talk about? Write about? Make bracelets and gazebo decorating kits about?

Would we need to redefine "America"? What would you say?

Thinking of "America" *

by: Sarah

Say the word, "America". What comes to mind? Perhaps the age old symbols; the American flag, the White House, Uncle Sam, or Abraham Lincoln. Do you think of colors? Red, white and blue; the new "green" America? What about the current "hot topics" in politics? Fast food? Fashion? The President? Whatever it is, we all have some definition of America. Here's mine:

My immediate reaction is a pain in my heart and a slightly bitter taste in my mouth. This likely stems from the first word I associate with "America": Politics. To be quite frank with you, I cringe every time I hear that word. Politics. At some point, I will expound on these feelings, but for now, just note that it is not a welcome subject.


Next, I think of the beginnings of America. Stories of great leaders, freedom, and cowboys. I remember stories from my childhood of Indians, bravery, and new beginnings. My heart gets all warm and fuzzy.


Finally the thought that comes to me is the state of America today, and how that defines the future. What does America look like? What have we done right? Wrong? Previous decisions and choices have dictated the present America; what choices are we making now that will shape the story for our children and grandchildren? Many questions come to mind; the biggest of them being: Is America today what it was meant to be at the beginning; a place of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness?

Or has America gone out to sea?

What Does It Mean to be an American Today?*

by: Alexandra

You can do whatever you like. American dream. If you like making doughnuts, you can open a doughnut shop and live happily ever after. Impractical? Extremely. But the American mentality will tell you that anything is attainable, and all you need is the willingness to work hard. I do not want to be the one to crush this dream, but in reality, it is far-fetched. But maybe that is what America is; a country of open doors, a million opportunities... Maybe that is why all of the other countries tend to think America is so bratty. We have so much opportunity it's ridiculous. Although we might feel lost and hopeless at times, we never REALLY feel the impending fear that so many who live in poverty do. A sense of security makes people lazy.

I recently decided to count all my blessing, as a way of thanking God and keeping myself from being selfish. I have since realized that I am disgustingly rich. My roommate moved out, so now I can use her closet, and I have 3 closets full of clothes. I have two beds in my dorm room and two beds in my bedroom at home. I have 4 beds that I can sleep in anytime I feel like it. I have two places to live; a dorm and a house. I have the opportunity to use makeup to make myself look "extra" good, whereas many people in other countries do not even have enough clothes. The Bible says God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or think, and I have that, much thanks to America and to God. And what did I do all of high-school? I whined that people didn't treat me the way I wanted, whined that I couldn't buy everything I wanted, whined that I wasn't pretty enough, and whined that my cellphone didn't hook up to the internet fast enough. The fact that I even spent time thinking about those things makes me a whole lot richer than a very significant percent of the world.

So what does it mean to be American? Or at least, an average American teenager?
To have much... and expect more.

America

by: Luis

Intro:

I have been wondering to myself; what does it mean to be an American, what is it that makes people want to become one, and why are they resented worldwide?

I have been given the opportunity to explore these questions in depth. I have always wondered what people think about the American dream and the meaning of America, and also what people are willing to do to become Americans.

Before I can continue with my research, I must first stop and think and define in my own mind what America is to me.

America is the land of opportunity; the "land of the free:"

To me, America truly is the land of opportunity. I was not born here, and my family, like many others, had to make the journey here from my home country. We came here looking to build a future. I have lived in the United States for 15 years now, and have become a part of this society. My love for this nation has made it my new home, and I feel indebted to this country for the opportunities that have been presented to me. I say "presented" and not "given," because this nation is the land of opportunity where a man has the opportunity to fight for his future.
:
Some people have the misconception that in America opportunities are just handed over to people, which is not the case. I have had to fight for everything that I have accomplished up til now. I have had to make an effort to stand out. I give thanks to this nation for those chances that I have been given. I look at what I could have been if I were to have stayed in my country and realize that I would have been a different man. This nation is a place where a person of my simple upbringings can fight for a place in society of equality and freedom; where a person like me can work hard to someday become someone. My parents brought me here in hopes of fulfilling that dream, and their hard work and sacrifice are what pushes me forward.

In my home country it is hard to overcome obstacles. Though we have free university, the drive to study is not really pushed on to the young people. It is a different culture. Corruption in the government (and society in general) holds generations of people down; not allowing them to grow or succeed. My parents saw this threat and brought me here to this nation; where with hard work, I have come to the place I am today.

American Pride

by: Natalie

I've been thinking much lately about what it actually means to be an American. Does it mean spending summers eating hot dogs and hamburgers? Oh wait... we stole that from the Germans. Does it mean watching football every Saturday (Ok, so it's a rip-off from English rugby, but oh well)? Does it mean spending all year planning Thanksgiving dinner (which we wouldn't have if the Indians hadn't shown the Pilgrims how to do it)? While I don't really think any one of these things classifies me as an "American," I think they all certainly help shape my view of what being an American entails.

To me, being an American means celebrating my German heritage and encouraging my fellow Americans to celebrate their heritage as well. No one is inherently American. We all came from different parts of the world. But, we live in this great country where we can embrace our heritage in unison. That is what makes us American. Our country is diverse, yet we all relate on some level or another. What other country is made up of people from all over the globe? This makes us unique, and so when we celebrate our American citizenship, we should also acknowledge the places we have come from and how they play a part in the "melting pot."

I am proud to be an American and to have the opportunities I do from living in this country, but I am also proud to be a German and to be able to share my unique experiences with other Americans standing by my side.

What does it mean to be an American?

by: Jenny

So many people have different ideas about what it means to be an American. The stereotypical American is someone who loves baseball, apple pies and hot dogs... or something like that.

I have also heard that an American is someone who loves the above-mentioned baseball, hot dogs and apple pies... plus the New York Yankees, peanuts, and Coca-Cola.

Rodney Atkins' new song, "It's America" shares his views on what it means to be in America:

It's a high school prom

It's a Springstein song

It's a ride in a Chevrolet

It's a man on the moon

And fireflies in June

Kids sellin' lemonade

It's cities and farms

And open arms

One nation under god

It's America

I actually have to agree. To me, America is about the memories that I have had growing up. It is my sisters and I setting up that lemonade stand in our driveway and selling about three cups (two of which were to my parents). It is staying outside playing Red Light, Green Light until my mom called us inside because it was time to go to bed. It is spending summers at my lake house and watching the fireworks explode over the water and hearing the "surround sound" of the noise being carried through the neighboring mountains and valleys. America is about running through the grass and lying on our backs counting the millions of stars, and wishing on the shooting ones. It is about being spontaneous. It's about lying in the street; going to carnivals and state fairs. America is learning how to ride a horse or drive a stick-shift for the first time. It's about happiness. It's about bliss. It's about falling in love and making memories.

America to me is home. I know there are things going on in this country that I strongly disagree with. But America is the only thing I know, and maybe that makes me ignorant of problems we face domestically... or maybe not. This is home, and I am proud to live here and be a part of this nation.

Now I turn the question to you... what do you think it means to be an American?

America

by: Jenny

I have always been full of spirit towards things. In high school, I was always the one that dressed way over-the-top during "spirit week". I was the girl that would paint her face and wear green, black and silver from head to toe to cheer on our football team. I played volleyball, basketball and ran track, and my twin sister was a cheerleader; so school spirit was something I could not escape (nor did I want to).

I was so spirited that during my senior class awards, I received the "Most School Spirit" award. No surprise there; Although I must admit I would have liked to have received "Most Athletic" or "Most Likely to Succeed." However, "spirit" it was, and I was content.

That same spirit carried from my days as a high-schooler into my college life. I love to invest in my school and its activities and to support them. I love to wear the GFU colors, logo, and name proudly, and believe that EVERYONE should be proud of where they are.

Granted, not everyone is; which saddens me. Why not be proud of something that has such a big impact on your life? Sure, school may not be for everyone, but you may as well enjoy it while you're there, right?

This mindset of being spirited in everything I do started when I was little. I grew up with the idea that America was the best place to be and that I was extremely fortunate to be here. I love that we are a free country and I love that we are granted so many freedoms. I am extremely proud to be an American. I know that many people get the impression that we are "fat, lazy, and materialistic," which may be the case for some, but I am so proud and blessed to be here.

I realize that there are a lot of bad things in America; for example, we are a country that is pressed for time. Drive-thrus are popular and if we have to wait more than a few minutes we get angry. We run from thing to thing, and often forget to stop and enjoy the scenery. We have a government that is often ridiculed or unsupported (I am NOT going to post government/politically-related posts in this blog if I can help it. I do not know enough about these areas to take on a knowledgeable standpoint and therefore will not comment).

But there are also so many good things in America: We are a strong country. We have so many advantages and blessings that many countries do not have. We are a country that so many are willing to defend. We are a country of diversity and we are a country that strives to be the best and the strongest.

We are America. And I am an American.

How to Begin

by: Caitlin

When first asked to come up with an American cultural immersion experience in my Intercultural Communication course, my mind went blank.

The point of the exercise was to recreate a cultural experience for the benefit of the Chinese international students that made up the remaining half of the class. As our group began to explore different options for a “cultural American experience” for the Chinese students to participate in, we found ourselves drawn to American holidays. Easter-egg hunts, opening presents on Christmas Day, setting off fire-works on the Fourth of July, and passing out Valentine’s Day cards all immediately came to the forefront of our discussions.

We finally landed on the idea of a BBQ Fourth of July celebration, complete with flag-printed napkins, hot dogs, potato chips, and sparklers, and to top it all off, we blasted patriotic music from the overhead speakers. As the international students cautiously entered the room, they began to ask questions about this particular tradition in American culture. Our only point of relation came through their celebration of the Chinese New Year.

As the remaining American students filed into the room, they started laughing and cheering with the sounds of “Proud to be an American” filling the air, and a small projector flashing American flags and fire-works on the wall.

The topic of conversation then took a different turn: “This is the essence of America: food, more food, and the American flag,” yelled one student. As all the Americans joined in laughing at the sarcastic remark, the Chinese students remained quiet; looking down or off into the distance.

Despite its obvious joking nature, this comment raises some serious questions. Is our internal definition of American Culture flawed? Is it even existent? Does it revolve around materialism and consumerism? How do external definitions of American Culture contrast with our own?

I feel like all of these questions are of great importance and are longing to be answered. Now... how do we begin?

A Loaded Question

by: Lia

What does it mean to be an American? Wow, what a question. Being an American can mean so many different things... it just depends on who you ask.

I am sure there are a lot of people around the world who might not have anything too pleasant to say about Americans. Heck, there are a lot of Americans who don't have anything good to say about Americans.

I must say... When the majority of the class voted on this topic I was disappointed. I thought, "Who cares about being an American? I'd rather learn about any other culture..."

In many ways I am ashamed to call myself an American. All that we have done to others through war (in the name of freedom, but in actuality because of our greed) just makes me sick. Other countries may have corrupt governments, but at least they are open to the fact; not hiding it and pretending things are one way when they're not.

I get that we should count our blessings; that we have democracy and all the freedoms that accompany it (but do we really?). We talk about equality like it's something that we have attained; but we haven't... not for the African Americans, the Latinos, the Asians, and women in general, regardless of race.

It's easy for someone (especially someone who is Caucasian) to be blinded to the sufferings of people they don't usually come in contact with. It is especially easy to be in your own little bubble as a college student; thinking the world is just peachy, and that in America we are free.

Well I have news for you: We have a LONG way to go people... and if you think we don't, then I want to encourage you to truly open your eyes and look around.