Real Americans

[jgbkab]

I see the term "Real Americans" tossed around a lot and I wonder what characteristics make anyone a "realer" American than I. I was born and raised in the USA. I never claimed allegiance to another country. I've only left the country on official military business.

Some people think that it is un-American to question your country or to dissent. Some people think the opposite. Does it matter that a person lives in Hollywood and star in movies? Does it matter if some people were born in other countries and became US citizens? I never saw any test for being a Real American. What say you?

 

[RodISHI]

Does it matter if some people were born in other countries and became US citizens?

I would say once they become citizens they are real Americans.

Unamerican would obviously be anything that you would do to intentionally damage this country.

Dissent and/or questioning the government's actions does not necessarily mean you are not a real American.

To me that does not mean one should abuse the privileges liberty and freedom of being able to disent to the point that it would damage the country in a manner that would or could be defined as treason.

 

[jgbkab]

Does it matter if some people were born in other countries and became US citizens?

I would say once they become citizens they are real Americans.

Unamerican would obviously be anything that you would do to intentionally damage this country.

Dissent and/or questioning the government's actions does not necessarily mean you are not a real American.

To me that does not mean one should abuse the privileges liberty and freedom of being able to disent to the point that it would damage the country in a manner that would or could be defined as treason.

So Rod, once you commit some form of treason, you're not a real American anymore? What if you're just suspected of it?

I think that is where we get most of the Real American" or traitor talk from. People having their own individual ideals of what real is.

real (rē′əl, rēl)

adjective

1. existing or happening as or in fact; actual, true, etc.; not merely seeming, pretended, imagined, fictitious, nominal, or ostensible
2.
1. authentic; genuine
2. not pretended; sincere
3. designating wages or income as measured by purchasing power
4. Law of or relating to permanent, immovable things real property
5. Math. designating or of the part of a complex number that is not imaginary: all irrational and rational numbers are real numbers
6. Optics of or relating to an image made by the actual meeting of light rays at a point
7. Philos. existing objectively; actual (not merely possible or ideal), or essential, absolute, ultimate (not relative, derivative, etc.)

 

[editec]

American movie stars are reel Americans.

 

[007]

You could spend hours discussing "what makes a real American." I think an easier question to answer would be, "what makes a person UNamerican," and I'd answer that simply, any person that does not assimilate, or uses a hyphenated name, such as african American.

 

[jgbkab]

You could spend hours discussing "what makes a real American." I think an easier question to answer would be, "what makes a person UNamerican," and I'd answer that simply, any person that does not assimilate, or uses a hyphenated name, such as african American.

You are entitled to your opinion. I am black and was born and raised in America. But my opinion is that someone can act un-American but nothing you say or do can make you un-American unless you choose to be.

 

[KittenKoder]

Comedians ... those are the truest to the American ideal than anyone else.

 

[jgbkab]

Comedians ... those are the truest to the American ideal than anyone else.

Eh, maybe not the ideal American but do you agree that they are real Americans?

 

[KittenKoder]

Comedians ... those are the truest to the American ideal than anyone else.

Eh, maybe not the ideal American but do you agree that they are real Americans?

No, the ideal American, think about it ... nothing offends them but they do care about people. They can take an insult with a laugh, but when push comes to shove they don't back down. They don't scream when you copy their jokes (most anyway). Finally they don't see the world through rose colored glasses. It's the American dream.

 

[jgbkab]

Comedians ... those are the truest to the American ideal than anyone else.

Eh, maybe not the ideal American but do you agree that they are real Americans?

No, the ideal American, think about it ... nothing offends them but they do care about people. They can take an insult with a laugh, but when push comes to shove they don't back down. They don't scream when you copy their jokes (most anyway). Finally they don't see the world through rose colored glasses. It's the American dream.

I think we agree that comedians aren't ideal Americans. But they are real Americans, no?

 

[Iriemon]

I see the term "Real Americans" tossed around a lot and I wonder what characteristics make anyone a "realer" American than I. I was born and raised in the USA. I never claimed allegiance to another country. I've only left the country on official military business.

Some people think that it is un-American to question your country or to dissent. Some people think the opposite. Does it matter that a person lives in Hollywood and star in movies? Does it matter if some people were born in other countries and became US citizens? I never saw any test for being a Real American. What say you?

The folks I see using terms like "real Americans" are usually saying or implying that people that don't agree with them on some political issue are not "real" Americans.

In otherwords, they don't allow for other Americans to have views different than their own. The antithesis of "real" Americans in my view.

It's often the case that people call others names or lables that most accurately apply to themselves.

 

[jgbkab]

The opposite of real is fake or artificial. So you would have fake Americans and real Americans. You can act un-American but you can't actually be an un-American. My point is that the "real American" bullshit being tossed around makes no sense. It's just another political talking point. I don't understand why people always fall for such things to divide us.

 

[xotoxi]

"what makes a person UNamerican," and I'd answer that simply, any person that does not assimilate, or uses a hyphenated name, such as african American.

So you have to "assimilate" to be an American?

And assimilate to what exactly?

 

[xotoxi]

Some people think that it is un-American to question your country or to dissent.

Actually, their is nothing MORE American than the ability to question your country or to dissent.

 

[RodISHI]

Does it matter if some people were born in other countries and became US citizens?

I would say once they become citizens they are real Americans.

Unamerican would obviously be anything that you would do to intentionally damage this country.

Dissent and/or questioning the government's actions does not necessarily mean you are not a real American.

To me that does not mean one should abuse the privileges liberty and freedom of being able to disent to the point that it would damage the country in a manner that would or could be defined as treason.

So Rod, once you commit some form of treason, you're not a real American anymore?

Repeat, "Unamerican would obviously be anything that you would do to intentionally damage this country."

What if you're just suspected of it?

I did not go into that. You did.

You have the floor. Go for it.

I think that is where we get most of the Real American" or traitor talk from. People having their own individual ideals of what real is.

real (rē′əl, rēl)

adjective

1. existing or happening as or in fact; actual, true, etc.; not merely seeming, pretended, imagined, fictitious, nominal, or ostensible
2.
1. authentic; genuine
2. not pretended; sincere
3. designating wages or income as measured by purchasing power
4. Law of or relating to permanent, immovable things real property
5. Math. designating or of the part of a complex number that is not imaginary: all irrational and rational numbers are real numbers
6. Optics of or relating to an image made by the actual meeting of light rays at a point
7. Philos. existing objectively; actual (not merely possible or ideal), or essential, absolute, ultimate (not relative, derivative, etc.)

I cannot disagree with you there.

 

[jgbkab]

I did not go into that. You did.

You have the floor. Go for it.

IMO that would be an un-American act.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

You could spend hours discussing "what makes a real American." I think an easier question to answer would be, "what makes a person UNamerican," and I'd answer that simply, any person that does not assimilate, or uses a hyphenated name, such as african American.

I would say anyone who denies the heritage of this nation is UnAmerican. The US is a nation of immigrants; if you're white or black, you're the descendant of an immigrant (voluntary or forced). That's America. Go look at the Statue of Liberty. It welcomed people from all over the world: Africans, Europeans, etc. The US was a melting pot, and still is. Assimilation is a eupemism used by racists to denigrate people who differ from them either racially or culturally. Yet, somehow, the conservatives claim that they are truly the the diverse ones... Ha!

 

[manu1959]

The opposite of real is fake or artificial. So you would have fake Americans and real Americans. You can act un-American but you can't actually be an un-American. My point is that the "real American" bullshit being tossed around makes no sense. It's just another political talking point. I don't understand why people always fall for such things to divide us.

seems your post did just what you hoped it would....divde people rather than unite them....

 

[manu1959]

You could spend hours discussing "what makes a real American." I think an easier question to answer would be, "what makes a person UNamerican," and I'd answer that simply, any person that does not assimilate, or uses a hyphenated name, such as african American.

I would say anyone who denies the heritage of this nation is UnAmerican. The US is a nation of immigrants; if you're white or black, you're the descendant of an immigrant (voluntary or forced). That's America. Go look at the Statue of Liberty. It welcomed people from all over the world: Africans, Europeans, etc. The US was a melting pot, and still is. Assimilation is a eupemism used by racists to denigrate people who differ from them either racially or culturally. Yet, somehow, the conservatives claim that they are truly the the diverse ones... Ha!

the us is no longer a melting pot as it once was....a melting pot would imply that you came her and became american.....now people use labels to diferentiate themselves......italian american....german american....african american....japanese american....not to mention cultural issues.....

a melting pot would melt everyone together into a thing called america populated by americans....not little factions representing their countries of origin .....

 

[jgbkab]

The opposite of real is fake or artificial. So you would have fake Americans and real Americans. You can act un-American but you can't actually be an un-American. My point is that the "real American" bullshit being tossed around makes no sense. It's just another political talking point. I don't understand why people always fall for such things to divide us.

seems your post did just what you hoped it would....divde people rather than unite them....

I'm not a troll. Do a search for real Americans. I only wanted to understand others and give my point of view. Americans are divided in their minds. We are more alike that most people want to think.