Essay About Patriotism
526 years ago, the land that we approached for new opportunities, and an improved lifestyle was discovered and today we call it America. Thousands and thousands of individuals have inhabited this land which makes up America as a whole. But what do you call those who reside here? People? Humans? No. We call them Americans. Being American doesn’t automatically mean the stereotypical person who eats hamburgers, hotdogs or wears baseball hats. As a matter of fact, being American operates by strong patriotism, living by the word freedom and working hard for new opportunities.
Day by day we with the company of patriotism besides us. Being an American means showing great patriotism in all circumstances, in the good ones and yet the bad ones. In John McCain’s writing, “Veterans Day: Never Forget Their Duty” he shows us what real patriotism looks likes. Throughout the text, McCain gives a very strong meaning of the word patriotism. He expresses that the Pledge of Allegiance is “the most important and meaningful event of our day.” For some, showing patriotism could mean waking up and starting the day out with saying the Pledge of Allegiance, but for others, it could mean something more extreme like sewing your flag on the inside of your shirt and getting it torn up, along with a beating and yet to come back all damaged, barely in good shape and remake that American flag like Mike Christian did. He showed us what real patriotism would look like in any situation. He stood proud of where he came from and showed loyalty. Mike Christian is a real patriot.
We live by the word freedom, we act by the word freedom, we are the word freedom. In addition to patriotism, there is freedom, which has such great significance to Americans. Our 32nd president of the US, Franklin D. Roosevelt, has informed us in his speech, “The Four Freedoms” what those freedoms are. Roosevelt states the following, “freedom of speech and expression”, “Freedom of every person to worship God in his own way”, “freedom of want” and lastly “freedom from fear”. But people nowadays may have the thought in their head of “having freedom means I get to do anything I want” or “it’s a free country I’ll do whatever”. This clearly is not what it means, they tend to have the wrong interpretation which leads to a misunderstanding of what a true American is. A true American does not live by the mistaken definition of “freedom”. In fact, a true American would distinguish the differences and would not hesitate to immediately think of Roosevelt’s four freedoms and how we operate by them. As Americans, we shall all have the right type of freedom.
Over the years America has gained tons of new inhabitants that come here for endless opportunities. America has been said to be the land that provides unlimited opportunities to those who ask for it. In the letter “What is an American” written by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoѐur, there is a very strong message to those who come to America for opportunities. As stated in the text, “here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world.” In this nation, Crevecoѐur is telling us that wherever you came from it won’t matter once you arrive in America because here we are like a melting pot in which if we all function proactively to work hard for what we want then great changes will be ahead of us.
To sum it all up, my interpretation of what it means to be an American is that you don’t have to be born in America to be classified as an American nor be the stereotypical kind. As long as you live in America and show appreciable patriotism in all circumstances, live every single day of your life by the four freedoms: speech, religion, want, and fear. And work the best you can to reach those opportunities then you will be classified as an American not mattering where you or your ancestors came from because at the end of the day we are all Americans. Anyone can be an American in this nation simply by doing their part.
