I had to research this answer ... very well; although I do agree, from my political beliefs, with your statement, the correct answer is quite different.
in the United States if you are born there, you are automatically a citizen, and you are considered an "American". You can also become a naturalized citizen if you move here from another country. Naturalized citizens are also considered to be "Americans". "American" is referred to their citizenship in the United States..
but it gets more complicated …There are some Native Americans (called Amerindians or First Nations); They have a special status as they are a sovereign people within a sovereign nation (US)....Historically native Americans were NOT citizens of the United States until 1934..
"An individual who was born in another country and was granted U.S. citizenship through the naturalization process is also a U.S. citizen. 106 C.M.R. § 362.200."
this is forum, where ideas and different opinions are exchange, openly - no personal attacks. dont expect to put some extreme ideas and not getting response....but i got your point...
"a work in progress" - i can relate... extremely well. not an "original American", but also took the US oath.... but choose not to live anymore in US (1999). Everything is too “awesome”!... and in a hurry…!!
Interesting point of view; you just touch the circumstance and the meaning.
The Pledge was promoted in an era where nationalism was not the “forte” in US – “to instill the idea of American nationalism”....and to promote the principles of the Constitution.
Louis A. Bowman, an attorney from Illinois, was the first to initiate the addition of "under God" to the Pledge... (wikipedia)...President Eisenhower signed
God never ordered anyone to kill.... I will suggest you to read the The Ten Commandments. I am listing some here.
1.You shall have no other gods before Me
2.You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.
3.You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
6. You must not murder.
8. You shall not steal.'
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; ......
The 10 Commandments reflect God's standard of holiness for everyone. No exceptions. Since God is the universal authority of moral conduct, for some of us who believe, all of humanity is subject to His standards.
and according to the Bible, no one is exempt from God's Law.
The Constitution says the federal government was established (and the Constitution was adopted) to “form a more perfect union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”
"The Constitution’s articles, and the subsequent Amendments, specify the “rights” of the Feds. "They are listed in Article I, Sec. 8; Articles II-V; Amendments XIII-XVI, XIX-XX, XXIII-XXVI." These "rights" fit to one of the next categories:
Defense, war prosecution, peace, foreign relations, foreign commerce, and interstate commerce; The protection of citizens’ constitutional rights; Establishing federal courts inferior to the SCOTUS; Copyright protection; Coining money; Establishing post offices and post roads; Establishing a national set of universal weights and measures; Taxation needed to raise revenue to perform these essential functions."
The Tenth Amendment states that "all prerogatives not explicitly given to the Federal Government, nor prohibited of the states, are reserved to the states or to the people". The privileges of Government/Feds are limited to what the Constitution explicitly states. That is all.
But getting on your second remark, I might agree with some, without going to details/politics or Dem/Rep; but you are right, America has become a “controlled socialist” country in some areas, and a very capitalist country for a few. And we don’t want to bring “that stuff over here”.
By the way, I am not attacking America. I am defending the Constitution, and the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance of America. Not what it has become.
choices... we all have..... not here to compete/prove who is the best, as it will be long and nonproductive .... my post is just my opinion... which is different from yours... as you have the right to have.
Dude, i forgive you by your lack of knowledge about your country ..
“The original "Pledge of Allegiance" was published in the September 8 issue of the popular children's magazine The Youth's Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. The event was conceived and promoted by James B. Upham, a marketer for the magazine, as a campaign to instill the idea of American nationalism by selling flags to public schools and magazines to students. According to author Margarette S. Miller this was in line with Upham's vision which he "would often say to his wife: 'Mary, if I can instill into the minds of our American youth a love for their country and the principles on which it was founded, and create in them an ambition to carry on with the ideals which the early founders wrote into the Constitution, I shall not have lived in vain.'"
You are assuming that everyone wants to live in America, or if not, is against America; Sometimes I wonder if “political correctness” is in the American constitution. It seems that speaking your mind is a major taboo. To a certain extent, I can understand it – America, now, does a great job of preventing people to think.
Also, there are other countries as "good" to live as America; America being the land of the free – it certainly was… 200 years ago. Most of western Europe is as free or more free, even with the actual crisis; free speech and tolerance for all is the norm in the western world as a rule, not just in America.
but worse, we did not pay attention to the Pledge... I would suggest to go back and hear again.... especially the part...“From the people to the leaders.”... the government is “of, by and for the people”.. with Liberty and Justice” (with freedom and fairness), “for all.” (for each person in the country...you and me!)… as it has nothing to do with Armed Forces…
I think patriotism is an excellent quality to have, and we should all be proud of where we were born. But nationalism (believing other countries are inferior) is a terrible quality.
Don’t get me wrong; I love America for what it was and it is represented by The Constitution (by the way – french revolution)....so, never be quiet - that was (not is) what made America a great country!!
Bogart_1960 Forum Posts (10,012)
RE: New here and saying hi!
Hi,