To be an American

Ok. Since that last post I have been haunted by that question. What does it mean to be an American? Why am I proud to be an American? Its nothing so simple as "I'm free" or people are equal. Same is true with lots of countries. After a long thought I have decided. To be an American means I trust and help others, including strangers. It means that I can take the higher road and know you will not take advantage of me and maybe even support me. Thats what it means to be American. I feel though that we as a country have lost our identity. People fear each other and are becoming increasingly introverted. In political and economic classes the discussion is on how to withdraw from the world since we can't continue taking care of everyone. Its on how to stop spending abroad on aid and to start concentrating on helping ourselves first.
   When the truth is we can still help others abroad and we shouldn't concentrate on fixing ourselves. Japan tried this, we tried this before, and Europe is now. It doesn't work. We  need to as a people rediscover who we are and help each other. If we did than there would never have been need to discuss a healthcare bill. If we did than brilliant people would want to be part of us and would stimulate our economy. Maybe even foreign countries return the favors we have given them so that we can pursue our efforts to help others. What does it mean to be American? It means we sacrifice so someone else can be better. If we lose this we lose ourselves. "Give us your sick and weary" was the principle we were built on. Perhaps we can't take them in anymore but we can still help them.
  If only there was a way to get this idea out and help restore our identity to everyone.