We have a shortage of Americans...

What is American? Remember when George Bush was president (or as I like to call it, "the good old days") it was American to "dissent" and "question your government". Now, it seems when you speak up against the completely incompetent and dangerous administration, you are clearly a "hater" or worse. You might be a "traitor" or god forbid, the worst crime of all...a "racist". Just look at the character assassination of people like Rush Limbaugh, Jim Cramer and Rick Santelli (I hate linking...just google that shit.)

Being American is not some amorphous concept. It doesn't change from day to day, administration to administration. It does not change with national crises like 9/11 and financial meltdowns. It is a real, tangible thing.

It's not some dumbed down concept either. "Republicans think being American means hating immigrants, loving country music, watching Nascar, and drinking beer" goes the elitist mantra. Not quite amigo.

It is not American to "pay taxes" as VP Joe Biden said. In fact, a quick look at a history book...any history book shows you that the main motivation for the American Revolution was a rebellion AGAINST taxes. There is a reason why we on the center-right are calling our protest "tea parties" (and no its not because we, classless Southerners hate Starbucks).

Let me break it down for you. America is not a race. It is not an ethnicity. It is an idea. It is a set of principals, an inherent genetic difference in some people to think for themselves. They are born rebels. They are born risk takers. They have a natural predisposition to distrust and dislike authority. They don't like arbitrary rules. They have a deep seeded, inexplicable belief, that all creatures on the planet are entitled to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

The idea that true Americans are in some way racist is ridiculous. Americanism transcends race. It is an idea, a higher calling than simply the color of one's skin. Because of this, Americans are born, everyday, in every nation of the world. Right now, Americans are born in Somalia, Mexico, the UK, Australia, Russia, Romania, Japan, and Thailand. Many of them struggle with their own country's rules and regulations. Many of them can't take it, get on a plane, get on a boat, or hop in a car and come to the nation that their soul feels closest to...the United States of America.

Conversely, every day, non-Americans are born on American soil. From San Francisco to Miami Beach, native born citizens are born without this psychological bent. Others are born with it, and then have it stripped away by deprogramming operations in major universities, public schools, and community groups. They come in all colors, from all creeds. They believe in entitlement, that we must have a large government to protect and provide, the do not see the exceptionalism that rages in the heart of their American cousins.

The Founding Fathers were Americans from the day that they were born. Their vision was a safe haven for those who shared their ideals. The rebels, the mavericks, the people that didn't fit in; not because they were weak and lame, but because they simply could not be constrained by the societies that they were born into. America was the "All-Star" team of the world.

That message got lost somewhere. Maybe it was the whole quote on the Statue of Liberty (given to us by the French no less). The quote was written by Emma Lazarus a 19th century poet. A quick google search reveals that she was an ardent Zionist and ...wait for it...Marxist. She interpreted our country not as an All-Star team, but as a safe haven for the homeless, teaming masses of the rest of the world. That is a great sentiment, but not exactly the whole story. For these masses to be provided for, for them to truly be set free and on the path of self reliance, they would need guardians and mentors from this All-Star Team. For a long time, we had this. Recently, the scale has tipped a bit. Now, we talk about "fair shares", "taxing the rich" and "redistribution of wealth".

Nothing could be more antithetical (cool word, huh) to the concept of Americanism than Marxism, Socialism, and Communism. There is no other way to describe excessive taxation, giant government, and attacks upon the free market and capitalism than as Socialist, Marxist and Communist. Using this cool thing I learned in math called the transitive property (if a=b and b=c, then a=c), the current policies of the Obama administration are un-American. The debate is over (as Global Warming proponents like to say). The concept, the nomenclature of Americanism belongs to those of us who protect its ideals. Those of you who are hell bent on turning this county into a soft, socialist version of Europe without the cool architecture are...yes, un-American.

The left in our country has already conceded this. The Democratic party and their supporters is made up of small groups: ethnic groups (African-Americans, Arab-Americans, Hispanic-Americans), sexual orientation groups (LGBT-Americans), unions, and community groups (like ACORN). They have subdivided themselves, and they, not us, place American secondary in their preferred titles. With the exception of those who clearly identify themselves as Republican, we, the opposition, are not subdivided. We refer to ourselves as Americans. Period. We are never ashamed of the title and do not seek to hide behind any other label.

So, let's not get our panties in a bunch when someone tosses out the "un-American" label. If you want to avoid it, simply avoid endorsing policies, ideas, and individuals who do not reflect the ideals of our great nation. Ben Franklin would be proud of you if you did.