Todays question: What does it mean to be an American?
It's a difficult question to answer. Many people will tell you an American is someone who lives in the America's. Some will say that an American is a citizen of the United States of America. And still others will say that to an American is someone who is a castaway from their home country, and has nowhere else to go but America. For me, none of these answers statisfy. I believe that being an American means a lot more than where you were born, where you live, or where your family comes from.
An interesting phrase that came up in my research, and dates back to the early 1800's, has helped me to define what it means to be an American. The phrase is "No Duty to Retreat." Originally this phrase came from a British slang legal term ("Duty to Retreat"). In England, it meant that a man could only legally defend himself from an attack if he had exhausted all other means of evading his attacker. American settlers in the Wild West coined the phrase "No Duty to Retreat" during the Westward Expansion to help define common sentiment, and to represent accepted ideology.
In the American West, this phrase was generally used in the cattle towns where violence was common, and local law enforcement needed some way of defending the towns people. In simple terms, this phrase meant that if a townsman was attacked by a cowboy/gambler/etc. he was legally allowed to defend himself, even if it meant the death of his attacker. In cattle towns where violence was a given, a man's ability to defend himself became synonymous with his honor, dignity, pride, integrity, and courage. You could even go as far as to say that a man was legally and morally obligated to defend himself, his family, his property, and his possessions against an attacker.
But what does this phrase have to do with being an American? I'll tell you. The backbone of this phrase is self-defense. But the keystone of this ideology is courage. But lets take this one step at a time.
Self-defense. America is unique, at least in terms of our justice system, for two very important reasons: the "innocent before proven guilty" guarantee, and the legality of self-defense. Claiming self-defense has quite literally allowed people to get away with murder in our country. But putting aside the somewhat pig-headed and selfish uses of the term, we find that the idea of self-defense is a very American, and very patriotic concept.
Self-defense does not necessarily mean against a physical attack. The American Revolution began with an economic and political attack by England on the 13 Colonies. The Americans defended their rights, defended their beliefs and values. When the British began to tax the colonies unfairly (and by our standards, unlawfully), the patriots took to Boston Harbor, retaliating by dumping tea during the event known as the Boston Tea Party, all in the name of self defense. Patriots boycotted items sent from England, refusing to buy taxed goods, and purchased only goods grown on American soil. Patriots protested in their newspapers, expressing their views through the commonly used phrase "taxation without representation." All this, they did in the name of self-defense. They were defending their rights, defending their home, defending their freedom. Things we take very much for granted today.
And the American Revolution is not the only moment in our history where we have fought to defend ourselves, our families, our freedoms, and our beliefs. Cases can be made about the Civil War, both World Wars, the Vietnam and Korean Wars, not to mention the Underground Railroad, the abolition movement, Women's Rights movements, and countless other events, people, wars, and movements.
Courage is, as I previously stated, the cornerstone for the phrase "No Duty to Retreat." Just to help make this connection, in the West, a man was considered couragous if he was able to defend himself from an attack. If a man defended himself, he showed courage in the face of danger, and a loyalty to his family, his beliefs, and his country. Today, we still consider self-defense the pinnacle of courage. Our soldiers, who fight for our freedoms and their own every day, are the epitome of courage. No one in their right mind would dare to say otherwise. Courage has always been a positive charactaristic of the American experience.
Think of the people who we celebrate today, either in a history class, or on holidays. The very first, George Washington, has his own holiday. We celebrate him because we admire his courage both on the battlefield, and in office. He led Patriot troops victoriously against the British, and won the war. He pushed his men through the terrible conditions of Valley Forge. He was a man of courage, honor, dignity, and loyalty; all reasons why we celebrate and honor him today.
Fast forward a bit to Martin Luther King Jr. MLKJr. is recognized as one of the bravest men in Civil Rights History. He knew very well he was putting his life on the line when he spoke publicly against segregation and racism. He himself predicted his death, saying that it didn't matter. In his famous speech he says;
"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will."
In this short passage, MLKJr. tells the world that he knows he will die soon, but he doesn't care, all he cares about is completeing his dream of a world without segregation. We honor Martin Luther King Jr. because of his courage in the face of danger, his courage in the face of death. We celebrate and honor his success, his determination, and his bravery; all qualities that Americans value in others, and wish to find in themselves.
There are thousands upon thousands of people who exemplify the quality of courage and bravery. But these two will suffice. Two of the most celebrated and respected men in our country's history are also two of the most couragous. What does that tell us about what it means to be an American.
We look at these men, and we see the exemplary American. We feel pride that such amazing and accomplished people came from our great country, served our great nation. I personally feel that these men are perfect examples of celebrated and honored Americans. Men who all Americans aspire to be. We see in them the perfection of the American Dream, and the American tradition. We see in the American Revolution, the values that make this great country unique.
No Duty to Retreat is one of many phrases/ideologies that Americans adhere to. We all, in some way or another, believe in our right to defend our beliefs, and to express ourselves freely. And while courage is not the only great American trait, it is one of the most important and defining characteristics of our nation, and one that helps us to define what it means to be an American; courage.
Next topic, we'll continue with American ideology. I'll be discussing Thomas Paine, both the pros and cons of his writings, and possibly some thoughts on the beneficial/detrimental nature of propoganda in the United States.
As always, leave any and all comments. I'd love to hear from you. If you have a topic suggestion you'd like for me to research and express my opinions on, just leave a comment. All opinions are welcome; remember it doesn't matter if you agree with me or not, all that matters is that you are expressing your own opinions. And if you find any fault with my information, please let me know
Kaydee
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