What it Means to be American

To be American, you are entitled to be open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values. We are born into issues, which includes issues such as, same-sex marriage, reproductive and other women’s rights, voting rights for all adult citizens, civil rights, and government protection of freedom from want.

In my 17 years of living in modern day America, i’ve experienced/seen many acts of citizens sharing their opinions in the form of protesting. One day, in the spring, I was driving to school. Looking out the window of my mother’s Ford Fusion, I see a man holding up a morbid photo of an aborted fetus glued onto a piece of cardboard. I wasn’t surprised to see this sight, It’s become normal, seeing people express themselves, because being American means you have the right to express your opinions and ideologies. The first amendment in The Bill Of Rights even states that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Thereby, authorizing American citizens to express themselves through freedom of speech, or press. Which rehashes the idea that being American, you are entitled to be open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.

America is the breeding ground of freedom. “The First Amendment of the US Constitution is only 45 words, but it packs a punch. It protects free speech and a free press in America (in addition to religion, assembly and petition); without it, the country would look completely different. The First Amendment is the safety valve of our democracy,” says US free press advocate Trevor Timm on TED talk.

With that being said, America is the place where people come in hopes to start a life, in hopes to find the freedom that they deserve because, to be American, you are entitled to be open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.