Wednesday, 11 May 2011

What It Means To Be An American

20th century French writer and philosopher, Albert Camus once said, "Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better." That quote perfectly exemplifies what it means to be an American. It is commonly appreciated that Americans have the freedom to do what they want, say what they want, and ultimately be what they want. There is a difference that truly makes being an American great. Though there are many free nations in the world, and in those nations, you have the same kinds of freedoms, the beauty of being an American is that you have the ability to become more than what you are, and to transcend social and class barriers. The root of these barriers is an imposed subjugation that is willingly accepted for many different economic reasons.