Being Free...

I was thinking, with this being the 7th anniversary of September 11th, what it means to truly be free. America is truly free. I should also say that, just like any other man-made or man-supported institution, America is not perfect, but I don't think that I could be prouder to live anywhere else.

In America I am financially free. I may not have the millions that everyone dreams they could have but I have the choices and the resources available to me that I can utilize to create my life. Financially, my life is what I make it.

In America I am free to think and to say, with the proper tones, whatever it is that I want to say. It is my choice if I want my religion, family or any other external influence to have a say in how to run my life. Because of the utmost respect that I have for my family and religion, I allow them to have a say in how my life runs however, any decision I make is mine and although I listen to what everyone has to say, no one, in America, has the power to make my decisions for me.

Many foreigners really do have the wrong idea of how Americans really are. They let the few Girls Gone Wild tapes, racy teen movies, and tabloid headlines represent the entire American population. Of the many lessons that I have learned so far (and hopefully I will be blessed to never stop learning) is that one should never let a stereotype of an individual tarnish the way that you view them. If I applied the stereotypes that I knew of every culture to each person that I met, then I would have a very limited circle of friends and an even smaller scope of knowledge. Let's take the French for example. The main stereotype for them is that they smell terrible and have terrible politics. But who doesn't? I can't think of one country in the entire world that doesn't have at least one person with a foul body odor nor can I think of one country whose politics can't be criticized. The whole idea is to not let a silly stereotype keep you from seeing the good in everything.

In America, as long as I respect my government, my family, and my religious institution, I can do, say, and be what I want.