Critisicm of America RESPONSE to Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

You really have it in for America, it's government, the people and all that America stands for don't you?? I couldn't help notice that in almost every article you have written, you have bashed America in some form or another. In every infromation media, there is always some biased reporting but in your case, I get the impression that you hate America for some dumb reason. Yes we have made mistakes Mr. Bancroft-Hinchey but so has every country in the world. Were we right in going to war in Iraq? YES! If you don't believe me, just ask the people at the Mosque down the street from me. Did we go to war under false pretenses? Probably, but that's for history to decide. Yes we made some mistakes sir but we will persevere.

    Please permit me to aquaint you with a few facts about America. (Edited from a letter by an Australian dentist).

    An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan. An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.
 
    An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim.  In fact, there are more Muslims in America than there are in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses. An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

    An American is from the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person the pursuit of happiness.
An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need. When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country.! (Albeit, some of that money went to Osama bin-Laden). As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan. Americans have given more money to the Palestinian people than all the Arab countries combined. Americans have contributed more money for aids research in Africa than all other countries combined and then the UN said we weren't doing enough.   (In my humble opinion, the United Nations could not stop a cookie fight at a brownie meeting.)
   
  Americans welcome the best, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes. But they also welcome the least. The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America. Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2002 earning a better life for their families. I've been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 other countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

    Americans are not a particular people from a particular place.  They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American! Your terrible opinion of America and it's people is mis-informed and downright stupid. The fight against terroism is everyones fight and every world leader must be willing to aid in the fight. If not, then we will continue to have bloody incidents like Beslan. (May God Have Mercy)

    Thank You for your time
    Terry A. Walker 
    Troy, Michigan