Veterans Day Never Forget Their Duty

America is the land of the free, because of the brave. Americans enjoy many freedoms because of the democracy our ancestors fought very hard to establish. Freedom summarizes what being an American is about, but it’s not what an American is. An American is someone who is brave enough to do something even though the punishment is severe, someone who sees opportunity and stops at nothing to achieve it, and someone who doesn’t take the easy way out. Bravery is part of the definition of an American. In “The True Meaning of Patriotism”, an essay by Lawrence W. Reed, he defines his own personal interpretation of what is and what is not a true patriot. To Reed, an American is someone who is “inspired by the ideals… in the Declaration of Independence” such as freedom and liberty for all. I believe that Reed meant he was proud of the freedoms that the Declaration of Independence gave us. …show more content…
In “Veterans Day: Never Forget Their Duty”, an essay by John McCain, he defines an American as someone who would risk their life for their country. “ Duty, honor, country.” McCain used these words in that particular order to sum up his main beliefs from greatest to least, but all being very important to him. He saw his opportunity to follow his father’s footsteps and serve our country, and like a true American, he stopped at nothing to make it happen. Next is taking the easy way out and how un-American it is. In “ The New Colossus”, a poem by Emma Lazarus, she speaks as though she was the statue of liberty welcoming immigrants into America. “Mother of Exiles; From her beacon- hand glows world-wide welcome, her wild eyes command…” Lazarus personifies the statue of liberty to welcome immigrants to America. The immigrants are fleeing their own countries for various reasons, but they are taking the easy way out, versus fighting through their