The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.
Ayn Rand

Over the centuries, mankind has tried many ways of combating the forces of evil... prayer, fasting, good works and so on.
Up until DOOM, no one seemed to have thought about the double-barrel shotgun.
Terry Pratchett

It is by coffee alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of columbia, hawaii, and jamaica that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. 4th of July journal

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what does it mean to me to be an American?

the Founding Fathers of the USA revolted over taxation without representation and an attempt by England to disarm them. after we won our freedom we tried The Articles Of Confederation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_Confederation and that didn't work out quite the way the Founders thought it would so they replaced it with the US Constitution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution

a few complaints later and they added the Bill Of Rights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights

with only a couple of necessary exceptions (women's suffrage, freeing the slaves, and civil rights to name three) these documents were about perfect. sure sure we needed to add a couple things, but they were a Very good place to start because they stated that All Men (meaning humans) are created equal before the eyes of the LAW.

as an American, I have the right of self defense and self determination. I cannot be put into prison for past due debts, nor have my property taken from me without due process of the law. I can travel anywhere with in the bounds of the USA without passport or visa, and can move at will, changing jobs as I see fit.

I am free to speak my mind, state my beliefs, discuss any religion, creed, or preference without fear of being locked up. I am free to do as I will as long as I cause no harm to any other person or other persons property.

I can be bisexual, atheist, cross-dress, and collect firearms, and while other people can say whatever the fuck they want about it, they cannot impose their will over mine, nor have the government do it for them.

I get to Vote... fat lot of good it does when 50% of the voting public are too stupid to listen to reason... but I still get to cast my vote.

I can be any gender, sexuality, race, religion or lack of religion, that I wish and while others have the right to say what they will about it... they cannot force me to change if I do not desire it.

I love my country. it is the greatest place on the face of the earth. we have sent men to the moon, and recovered them safely. we've created a global communication system so people can misunderstand each other from around the global instantaneously! we invented the modern cartridge firearm, the automobile, the aircraft, Ninki Minja And John Belushi!

we fought a war with ourselves to that people of different colors would be free and our equals in every way.
Blues, Jazz, Heavy Metal, country, gospel, and wtf it is that John Tesh does...
we've made heroes out of zeroes, broke mother fuckers out of rich people, and rich people out of broke mother fuckers.

to me, being American means I can be a furry, a gun owner, an atheist, a crossdresser, and a small government libertarian without being on some government hit list, or have my natural rights curbed by some asshat's opinion.

it does mean I have to follow certain rules, and sometimes I chafe at those stupid fucking rules. for instance I've been trying for Moths to get a hold the of the town comptroller to get a fireworks permit.

A FIREWORKS PERMIT? On the fourth of July? WTF!?!? I can go shoot a LOT of guns, but I cannot light off a Fucking Firecracker?!?!

to paraphrase Woodrow Wilson Smith "When a place gets to the point they require PERMITS to shoot off fireworks on your countries birthdate, social collapse is not far away."

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The Perversity Of The Universe Tends Toward The Maximum: The Universe Is Hostile. Finagles First Law that governs the universe.
If Anything Can Go Wrong, It Will. Finagles Second Law that governs the universe.
If anything Can go wrong, it Will go wrong at the worst possible moment. Finagles Axiom often misquoted as Murphy's Law, and the third law that governs the universe.
Murphy and Finagle were FUCKING OPTIMISTS. O'Toole's theory, and the forth law that governs the universe.
Blessed Be The Pessimists, For They Have Made Backups
There is only one Finagle, and Murphy is his prophet.
Sol Belter's Church of Finagle - Ringworld - Tales of Known Space - Larry Niven

"quod futue te ipsum est quid (Because FUCK YOU that's why)" Larry Corriea - Monster Hunter International

"See, I'm a man of simple tastes. I like dynamite, and gunpowder, and gasoline! Do you know what all of these things have in common? Their Cheap..." Joker