The Reward for killing an American

The following was sent to me from a friend, a dentist, in Australia!

"You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was
actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an
offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/story_18921.asp

So I just
thought I would write to let them know what an American is, so they would
know when they found one.

An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish,
Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Mexican, African, Indian,
Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or
Afghan.

An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho,
Apache, or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than inAfghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them choose.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will
answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to
speak for the government and for God.

An American is from the most prosperous land in the history of the world.
The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence,
which recognizes the God-given right of each man and woman to the pursuit of
happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other
nation in the world in their time of need. When Afghanistan was overrun by
the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to
enable the people to win back their country. As of the morning of September
11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

An American does not have to obey the mad ravings of ignorant, ungodly
cruel, old men. American men will not be fooled int giving up their lives
to kill innocent people, so that these foolish old men may hold on to power.

American women are free to show their beautiful faces to the world, as each
of them choose.

An American is free to criticize his government’s officials when they are
wrong, in his or her own opinion. Then he is free to replace them, by majority vote.

Americans welcome people from all lands, all cultures, all religions,
because they are not afraid. They are not afraid that their history, their
religion, their beliefs, will be overrun, or forgotten. That is because they
know they are free to hold to their religion, their beliefs, their history,
as each of them choose.

And just as Americans welcome all, they enjoy the best that everyone has to
bring, from all over the world. The best science, the best technology, the
best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best
athletes.

Americans welcome the best, but they also welcome the least. The national symbol of America welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched
refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact
are the people who built America. Some of them were working in the Twin
Towers on the morning of September 11, earning a better life for their families.

So you can try to kill an American if you must.
Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world. But in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular
place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who
holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

So look around you. You may find more Americans in your land than you
thought were there. One day they will rise up and overthrow the old,
ignorant, tired tyrants that trouble too many lands.
Then those lands too will join the community of free and prosperous nations. And America will welcome them!"

Pass this around the World!