What does it mean to be an American? I'm an American, you're an American, my parents are Americans. We use the word so freely, yet do we really know what it means? Ask twenty different people and chances are you'll get twenty different answers, which is what this assignment will probably show. I talked to my parents (for as long as I could stand) about their view on what it means to be an American, and they put most emphasis on the fact that being an American means we have rights available to us like nowhere else in the world.
             The United States of America is a country that is based on the fact that it's citizens have more freedom than anywhere else. But "freedom" is as broad of a term as "American", and we use the word a lot without ever really defining it. So what exactly comes along with our "freedom"? To what extent are we really "free"?
             We have the freedom of choosing our religion. Although the Pledge of Allegience states that we are "one nation under god," implying that an American citizen is of Christian background, it is not forced upon us. Unlike some places, we have the freedom to put our faith in whatever religion we choose, regardless of whether we were born into it or not. We can worship whatever god we want, however we want, whenever we want. We can choose to believe in nothing at all, or every god that every religion has ever praised!
             We have the freedom to an education. In places like China and Afghanistan, girls are not allowed to attend school simply because they were born female. Here, women can receive an equal education right alongside men, and even have the opportunity to become more successful than men.
             We can marry who we want, regardless of age, race, religion, etc. In many countries across the world, girls at young ages are forced to marry, often providing a profit to their families.
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