A Closer Look At The Best Example of What It Means To Be An American.

More than a year ago, I noted-- when I was feeling very American because it had just been the Fourth of July and because I was listening to "Stuck Between Stations" by The Hold Steady, and that song is a song that sounds like America feels-- I noted that Galveston Island, Texas, is The Best Example Of What It Means To Be An American.

Galveston Island served as that example because long ago, when it was flooded, the people of Galveston refused to be kicked off the island by nature, and instead simply raised the level of the island, prompting me to declare that:

An American decides in the face of a flood to raise the ground he stands on.


Now, as we should all know, Galveston Island and other areas have been leveled by Hurricane Ike. So I'm going to append to my earlier definition of what it means to be an American this phrase:

... and, an American helps those in need of assistance.

Please help the people of Galveston and others who have been hurt by Hurricane Ike. You can give up a couple of coffees, or wait until next month to buy a DVD, or pack your lunch this week, or even use your vacation time and donate some money or time or effort to the Red Cross; as of Monday, the Red Cross had only raised about $20 million of the estimated $100 million it will need to help people.

CLICK HERE to go to the Red Cross website and find out more about how to help.