Re: great american writers!

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In an Orson Scott Card novel, he invents (as far as I know) a quote from 
Ben Franklin: (paraphrasing here) "the greatest thing I ever invented 
was 'Americans'.  Before I started using that word, people were 
'Virginians' or 'Bostonians'"... 
The way he put it was really quite profound.  One way to look at it is 
through Vonnegut's new words: Wampeters, Ganfalloons, and Foma.  I, 
however, take pride in the fact that I am a native of a country that I 
love and loathe.  But we are bound not by culture, race or religion, 
but, for the first time in human history, there is a country that binds 
its people through government alone.  We are, for the first time ever, 
able to gather people together under the banner that people have a 
constitutional right to be happy.  Say what you want about this country, 
and God Bless Abbie Hoffman, but I love being an American, Elvis 
impersonators and all.  
-- Thor

>Scottie--
>
>You  pose such difficult questions--and to be honest I'm not  sure 
quite
>how to take them.  But who, in the end, can really claim to be an
>"American"--asides from certain characters in certain novels?  Or
>rather, at what point in some mythical process, does one become this
>mythical sort of beast?  I sometimes see Salinger referred to as an
>Irish writer. 
>
>Have to catch my bus!
>
>Love and peace,
>
>Denis

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