We Call them Americans

[Navy1960]

While I have made no secret of my feelings as they relate to the current candidates for the top office, I thought I would take a moment to say that this process tomorrow that we celebrate by exercising our right to vote continues the unbroken line of our over 200 year history. You and I and everyone else by voting, validate all those that came before us and the ideals they stood for, and all those peoples that sought this nations dreams on whos shoulders we stand upon. Black, white ,brown, people's of all color make up the very fabric of red white and blue and by casting our vote we add our voice to that very fabric. It does not matter who you support in this election, you have the right to justly claim a rightful pride in yourself and your family for celebrating this nation and becomming part of it's long history. So when all the campaign signs are swept away, and the stickers faded and this campaign is part of history all of us no matter who the victor can rightfully claim our part in it. While there are winners and losers in every election those are the candidates and not you, you and I are the real winners here. Keep in mind that when you cast that vote you also validate the soldier, sailor, airmen, and marine and the millions of unamed men and women who have given their lives for all of us to claim proudly that on this day we truley have shown what it means to be an American.


When our representatives in General Congress, Assembled, on July 4, 1776, declared "That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States," the question immediately arose: What do you call the citizens of the newly named United States of America? we call them simply Americans

 

[strollingbones]

nice reminder....thanks

 

[BlackAsCoal]

You sir are a great American. I know you made every man and woman proud to serve with you and under you.

I hope my daugfhter is serving under leadership just like you .. but that is the good thing about the American military .. it has traditionally been the one place in America where we can all just be Americans with few exceptions.

Thank you sir for your service and your noble character.

 

[Clay Buster]

Great post Navy and a great reminder of what this day is all about.

 

[Sunni Man]

Great post Navy!

Last election I was so disgusted with the two choices that I didn't vote.

For the last 4 years I have felt guilty for not voting.

So this morning I got up early and was basically the first person in line to vote.

 

[Navy1960]

You know, IMHO that is the basic problem with elections now. That many are so vested in this candidate or that, in the end they themselves feel like they have lost or that there is no hope and their voice will not be heard. Nothing could be further from the truth IMO, as I stated above the only people that lose in an election are the people running for office, you and I win each and everytime we go and vote. Just think of how lucky we are in this country have the honored privledge to exercise our voice and select those that will lead us. In many nations around the world people don't have that choice and in many ways while ours is not a perfect system it is among many people across the world something they strive for. Today will be the first time I will watch my teenage daughter walk into the polling place and vote, and even though she is voting for Obama and I *laughs* as many of you know am not a supporter of Barack Obama, I will be rightfully proud of her. I will be so not because of her choice but because she has taken the time to lend her voice to our nation by her vote. While I may disagree with Barack Obama on his policies , I will admit that his ability to inspire the youth of this nation is a rare quaility and can be seen in the example of my daughters participation in this election and all her many friends at her college.

 

[doeton]

When our representatives in General Congress, Assembled, on July 4, 1776, declared "That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States," the question immediately arose: What do you call the citizens of the newly named United States of America? we call them simply Americans

got me thinking about where the term 'Americans' came from...i had assumed it was an Indian word...I'm sure many of you know this...but for those who don't

"The term America, for the lands of the western hemisphere, is believed to have been coined in 1507 after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer and cartographer.

The explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci (March 9, 1454 - February 22, 1512) was the first person to demonstrate that the New World discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 was not the eastern appendage of Asia, but rather a previously-unknown "fourth" continent.[a] The continents of North and South America (and, by extension, the United States of America) derive their name from the feminized Latin version of his first name (see Naming of America)."

Amerigo Vespucci - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Navy1960]

got me thinking about where the term 'Americans' came from...i had assumed it was an Indian word...I'm sure many of you know this...but for those who don't

"The term America, for the lands of the western hemisphere, is believed to have been coined in 1507 after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer and cartographer.

The explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci (March 9, 1454 - February 22, 1512) was the first person to demonstrate that the New World discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 was not the eastern appendage of Asia, but rather a previously-unknown "fourth" continent.[a] The continents of North and South America (and, by extension, the United States of America) derive their name from the feminized Latin version of his first name (see Naming of America)."

Amerigo Vespucci - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thats very true doe , in fact during the 18th century when our nation was forming many wished to use the term Columbians due to its reference to Columbus. In fact, there was such an influence at the time, that is why Washington is called the District of Columbia. It can be argued though that anyone that lives in this hemisphere can rightfully claim to be American. However historically it has been common to refer to the people that live in the United States by that title.

 

[Epsilon Delta]

It's pretty funny when you're around the continent and people complain about the hijacking of the continental name, but I guess I understand. If you guys didn't call each other Americans what WOULD you call yourselves?? SJDHASDKJSDHAKSDJhSAdlkj.

Well, for better or worse it's been good, almost 50 unbroken elections. We should catch up in what, a 120 years from now?

 

[Navy1960]

It's pretty funny when you're around the continent and people complain about the hijacking of the continental name, but I guess I understand. If you guys didn't call each other Americans what WOULD you call yourselves?? SJDHASDKJSDHAKSDJhSAdlkj.

Well, for better or worse it's been good, almost 50 unbroken elections. We should catch up in what, a 120 years from now?

Well you can see the conflict there with Columbians , and United Statians is a bit of a tougue twister. As the other nations in our little corner of the world here seem to have migrated to other names, it seems to be very easy. Besides, can you imagine an Olympics where an announcer say's here comes the Americans from Canada? It might tend to confuse some people. lol

 

[Epsilon Delta]

Well you can see the conflict there with Columbians , and United Statians is a bit of a tougue twister. As the other nations in our little corner of the world here seem to have migrated to other names, it seems to be very easy. Besides, can you imagine an Olympics where an announcer say's here comes the Americans from Canada? It might tend to confuse some people. lol

Yeah, "United Statians" really doesn't work. Colombus got taken by the Colombians though. Hahaha, I didn't catch on to that when I read your post about "Columbian". And that would've made sense since Colombia would've been the core of a "US of south america" type of thing back in the day. Either way, you're right. The rest of us picked other names, and I guess it would be pretty confusing to change at this point.

 

[N4mddissent]

"The term America, for the lands of the western hemisphere, is believed to have been coined in 1507 after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer and cartographer.

The explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci (March 9, 1454 - February 22, 1512) was the first person to demonstrate that the New World discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 was not the eastern appendage of Asia, but rather a previously-unknown "fourth" continent.[a] The continents of North and South America (and, by extension, the United States of America) derive their name from the feminized Latin version of his first name (see Naming of America)."

Amerigo Vespucci - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And not to seem obsessed on one point (since I mentioned this historical figure once before on one of Navy's threads) but the term "United States of America" was initially used in the Declaration of Independence and in Thomas Paine's 2nd essay in his "Crisis" series during the American Revolution. (There are some historians who, based on writing style and similar expressions, believe Paine may have been the actual author of the Declaration of Independence- but being a self-educated common writer, his authorship would have carried less weight in terms of respect than the well known Jefferson.)