“What does it mean to be an American?” Argumentative Essay Example

There have been many instances where people have asked themselves, “What does it mean to be an American?” I myself am an American, from Fairhope, a small town in the State of Alabama. Being in a small town, I tend to see people get along. But being in the south, I see lots of people not getting along. Also, our now former Senator tried to add gun control to our state. I don’t think he knew about the Second Amendment. In my opinion, anyone who is trying to take away this nation’s rights is an enemy of the United States and its people. I believe that everyone has rights and that these rights cannot be taken away by anyone. 

It says in the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  Many politicians in the United States are trying to add gun control, one of our inalienable rights. As the Alabama state motto says, “We dare defend our rights.”  We will defend our inalienable right to guns and protection. It says our rights are inalienable, so it is our job to protect them. If someone is wronged and is not compensated, they have the right to justice. As Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” Meaning to either give us our rights or kill us as we try to take them back. We must unite against the common enemy. If we don’t, no one will overcome it. As Abraham Lincoln said in his “House Divided” speech, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." 

Many people also get in fights about different things. As the last line in the Declaration of Independence, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” We will protect each other with our lives. Yet so many people kill each other over simple disagreements. People just need to get along and stop fighting.

People in the United States keep fighting, but we are united, hence the name United States. Abraham Lincoln said that “A house divided against itself can not stand.” If we keep fighting, we will end up losing this great nation. And centuries of fighting for our freedom would be wasted. In conclusion, I believe that everyone has rights that can not be taken away and that we need to unite or we will lose this great nation.

Works Cited

Declaration of Independence

Lincoln, Abraham. House Divided Speech. Springfield, IL, Abraham Lincoln, 1858.