That is what a true American is.” Twelve year old Jonathan B. from Hawaii looks at America as a concept, not a geographical location. For this young man, to be an American is to have the sense of independence, freedom, and equality. However, for twelve year old Matt B., from Wisconsin, to be an American means something else, it means to hold patriotism for our nation. “When I think about September 11, 2001, I walk up and down my neighborhood waving an American flag. On September 11, 2002, I will wear an American shirt to school.” With these two opinions, it leaves many of us wondering what we feel it means to be an American.
While there are many different ideas of what it means to be an American, one of the absolutes is that it means freedom. To be an American means that you are free, free of inequality, free to vote, free to speak your mind, free to life your life as you wish. In other words, in the United States of America, there is no tie from one man to another in the sense that one is bound