Buy The Eagle Statesman a coffee

If we don't stand up for something we will fall for anything.

What does it mean to you to be an American and what would you do if that was going to be taken away.

I was born in the suburbs of Boston in the late 1960s. The 70s and 80s were amazing times from the music that made us dance and sing to the songs of "Walk this way" or "Shake your groove thing" to the Country music of the Oak Ridge Boys "Elvira" or "I Love a Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbitt.

The Godfather, Jaws, Halloween, Star Wars, Animal House, Grease, The Deer Hunter, Love Story, Rocky, French Connection, Apocalypse Now. You know these movies if you are an American.

The fear of nuclear war was a constant threat and the Cold War was something I couldn't escape until Ronald Reagan talk on TV about SDI or Strategic Defense Initiative which the media dubbed Star Wars. The strategic shield would protect America and ultimately help collapse the Soviet Union.

The Iranian Hostage crisis and staying up until 11:30pm to watch Ted Koppel on Night line to get the lastest updates.

Cheering and being in awe that on January 20th, 1981 the hostages were released and for the first time America elected an Actor for President.

We all cried when the Challenger blew up live on TV in 1986.

The 80s was MTV, Crack, Aids, Thriller and Billie Jean So Much more.

1989 the Berlin Wall came down and the collapse of our enemy.

The 90s we lost Ryan Wayne White. Music changed from Heavy Metal to Grudge Rock, Kurt Kobain

The Gulf War, Titanic, Unforgiven, Forest Gump, Silence of Lambs, Schindler's List, My Cousin Vinny, Groundhog Day. Princess Diana, John Kennedy Jr.,

21st Century and Y2K, I made it and we all cried and came together strong.Black, White, Rich, Poor, all of us on that fateful day.

There is so much, much, much more if you remember these moments you are an American and that what makes us who we are. That's how we are connected with each other in America and to me those songs, movies, people, happy and sad times is our common bond.

WE ARE AMERICANS AND WE STICK TOGETHER AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE AN AMERICAN?