Expanding What It Means To Be All American
To most of us, the term All American has meant all that is good about America: family, good neighbors, hard work, freedom, mom, dad and apple pie. It elicits good thoughts and warm memories. To others it means champion. To us, All American, means all these things and more.
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Unfortunately, to some, the term has quietly stood for "white America" to the exclusion of others. It has been hard for some to identify with the moniker. To them it implies only blond hair and blue eyes, the suburbs, a stifled American Dream and a fraudulent American Ideal. As foreign as this may be to most of us, for many, it is still a term synonymous with unwelcoming people and places.
This is disheartening. It should not be this way. One of our goals, is to make the term, All American, All Inclusive, and a source of universal national pride. Our country is and has been (with obvious exceptions) one of the freest nations on earth, filled with incredible opportunity. Contrary to political dogma, our nation is still a place where one has tremendous control of their own destiny, and a place where one is largely free to live their life as they please. Globally, this is, to this day, rare and special. |
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All Americans do not waste their time and energy on the weak-mindedness of racists, sexists and the like. No, we stand firm, by confidently ignoring the idiots, and their laughable positions. Instead, we focus on bringing solutions that help All Americans. We try not to participate in the tomfoolery. We prefer to show who we are, and what we believe through good deeds and better ideas. We believe wholeheartedly that actions speak much louder than words.
The All American Movement hopes to change todays negative feelings into positive energy. We believe our transcendent solutions can help unite the nation. We invite you to learn more, and if you agree, join us, to help redefine and expand what it means to be an All American.
The All American Movement hopes to change todays negative feelings into positive energy. We believe our transcendent solutions can help unite the nation. We invite you to learn more, and if you agree, join us, to help redefine and expand what it means to be an All American.
The Melting Pot Is Our Advantage
The All American Melting Pot is one of our nation's biggest advantages. We are privileged to live here. We are able to digest the strengths of people from around the world, fusing them into our own unique, stronger, special, All American culture, rooted in the timeless principles of freedom, equality and justice for all.
When it comes to race, religion, ethnicity and/or one's ancestral nationality, we ask, who in America is of "pure" descent? No one. America is a nation of mutts. We are the sons and daughters of people from across the globe. We are the offspring of the persecuted, and of prisoners. Yet, largely because of our All American Spirit, we are the envy of the world.
When it comes to race, religion, ethnicity and/or one's ancestral nationality, we ask, who in America is of "pure" descent? No one. America is a nation of mutts. We are the sons and daughters of people from across the globe. We are the offspring of the persecuted, and of prisoners. Yet, largely because of our All American Spirit, we are the envy of the world.
People across the globe want to come here. Sure, they want to do better and they want to prosper, but more importantly, and more likely, they want to live free and contribute. They risk everything for this, and the chance to be rewarded for their ingenuity, hard work and creativity. Such people are not a cancer, they are the sweet nectar that flavors the All American stew. They keep the best attributes of America alive. We wish them the best of luck. May God bless them, and may God bless America.
The All American Ideal is one that asks, as President John F Kennedy once did, each and every one of us to look in the mirror, to make a difference, and to be a good citizen. All Americans are givers, not takers. They are not out to see what they can get, but rather look for ways to make an impact by helping others and solving problems.
All Americans do not look backwards. We do not cling to the past. We know we are individuals with a special purpose and unique soul. As such, we do not hold our children responsible for the sins of our predecessors. All Americans know they cannot change or correct the regrets of the past, but we can look to the future and accept a new responsibility to simply do what we can to live a good life, love our families and to help others whenever possible.
All Americans know that liberty and freedom are two different things, and that we are free to choose each day, each moment, no matter the circumstance. Thank goodness, in America everyone of us has the natural human right to live, think, and do as we please (as long as it does not hurt others) and to pursue our personal passions to the extent we, not others, choose.
I Am All American celebrates all this and more! The All American Identity is special. It is inclusive, yet distinctive. It offers a new, yet classic, way for All Americans to define themselves. We hope it unites, instead of divides us. So, the next time someone asks you, or your children, who or "what" you are, we encourage you to answer by simply telling them that you are All American.
The All American Ideal is one that asks, as President John F Kennedy once did, each and every one of us to look in the mirror, to make a difference, and to be a good citizen. All Americans are givers, not takers. They are not out to see what they can get, but rather look for ways to make an impact by helping others and solving problems.
All Americans do not look backwards. We do not cling to the past. We know we are individuals with a special purpose and unique soul. As such, we do not hold our children responsible for the sins of our predecessors. All Americans know they cannot change or correct the regrets of the past, but we can look to the future and accept a new responsibility to simply do what we can to live a good life, love our families and to help others whenever possible.
All Americans know that liberty and freedom are two different things, and that we are free to choose each day, each moment, no matter the circumstance. Thank goodness, in America everyone of us has the natural human right to live, think, and do as we please (as long as it does not hurt others) and to pursue our personal passions to the extent we, not others, choose.
I Am All American celebrates all this and more! The All American Identity is special. It is inclusive, yet distinctive. It offers a new, yet classic, way for All Americans to define themselves. We hope it unites, instead of divides us. So, the next time someone asks you, or your children, who or "what" you are, we encourage you to answer by simply telling them that you are All American.
We Love Diversity, But We Are Not The Police
If you read about our comic beginnings, you know we cherish diversity. We love learning from others, and their backgrounds. We love the mix and makeup of all the world's people, culture and creatures. We are blessed to live in a time and place where we can easily experience more things, and more people. We appreciate life's differences and distinctions. They make each day more interesting. We love beautifully wrapped packages, but appreciate far more, the gift within.
We also love differences of opinion. Other perspectives challenge us to arrive at the very best solution. This requires strength, inner confidence, and real self-esteem. The All American movement and our ideals is not a philosophy for the weak. Soft minds, and weak people depend on dogma, social acceptance, peer pressure, and one form of -ism, or another. They are afraid to be - even politely - challenged, because they do not know how to defend their ideas. By contrast, All Americans encourage dialog, tough conversation, and civil, but passionate debate.
We also love differences of opinion. Other perspectives challenge us to arrive at the very best solution. This requires strength, inner confidence, and real self-esteem. The All American movement and our ideals is not a philosophy for the weak. Soft minds, and weak people depend on dogma, social acceptance, peer pressure, and one form of -ism, or another. They are afraid to be - even politely - challenged, because they do not know how to defend their ideas. By contrast, All Americans encourage dialog, tough conversation, and civil, but passionate debate.
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Our family, and families like ours, would not exist, if those before us had not risked their lives, and their families lives, pursuing civil rights, equal justice and the All American Ideal - where people are judged NOT by the color of their skin, religion, or sex - but rather the content of their character, their actions, their brain power, their skills and their beliefs.
Prejudice and stereotypes still exist, and likely always will. It is sad, disgusting, and unfair. We firmly believe we must continue to stand up for freedom and equality for All Americans (and human rights across the globe). That said, we have to be careful not to confuse civil rights, equal justice and real freedom fighting, with well-branded, but diametrically opposed causes like Social Justice and the politically correct positions of the so called "diversity police." Why? |
First, despite marketing efforts to make Social Justice seem like the next civil rights movement, it actually has nothing to do with civil rights. Like many, we too used to use the two terms (Social Justice and Civil Rights) interchangeably. They sound like the very same thing. There is in fact, a big difference. The term was not born out of atrocities like the murder of George Floyd. The concept is about 100 years old. It is in fact, a Marxist economic concept focused on the redistribution of wealth, not freedom and blind justice for all. Its origins come from the Progressive movement's A Contract with The People written a century ago. This manifesto calls for many things, including the demand for "Social and Industrial Justice."
Hard to believe? Look it up. See the Oxford Dictionary for the definition. If what you really care about is Civil Rights and the fight for freedom, you should understand this deceptive use of the term. You should understand how Social Justice actually minimizes freedom, and why Social Justice IS NOT really a call for Equal Justice, it is simply a way to mask UNequal Justice.
Their cause is not really dedicated to ending racism, sexism, and the like, but, by targeting historically oppressed people, the people behind these efforts, blur the agenda. Many purposely position themselves this way to gain support, to gain mass, to gain political, not moral, might. It is good strategy, but absolutely not a movement that can, or will, help All Americans prosper (particularly not the poor and the middle class). We outline exactly why in our books, particularly in, Pimping The Poor.
Hard to believe? Look it up. See the Oxford Dictionary for the definition. If what you really care about is Civil Rights and the fight for freedom, you should understand this deceptive use of the term. You should understand how Social Justice actually minimizes freedom, and why Social Justice IS NOT really a call for Equal Justice, it is simply a way to mask UNequal Justice.
Their cause is not really dedicated to ending racism, sexism, and the like, but, by targeting historically oppressed people, the people behind these efforts, blur the agenda. Many purposely position themselves this way to gain support, to gain mass, to gain political, not moral, might. It is good strategy, but absolutely not a movement that can, or will, help All Americans prosper (particularly not the poor and the middle class). We outline exactly why in our books, particularly in, Pimping The Poor.
Second, if you truly believe that all men (and women) are created equal, regardless of race or religion; then you must also believe All Americans - when unimpeded - are fully capable of succeeding largely on their own merits, or at least, with a little help from their friends and other good citizens. We believe there is a fine line between eliminating barriers to entry, enforcing justice equally, and patronizing or pitying people. Walls to freedom are certainly racist, but softer, sweeter, condescending attitudes are too. We contend, such positions show how little some people actually appreciate and respect the strengths and drive inherent in All Americans, and our multitude of diverse cultures and infinite individuals.
Two wrongs do not make a right. Satisfaction, happiness and self-worth only come from earned accomplishment. We need to strive to make our nation the most meritocratic in the world. We need to free our economic and educational systems to maximize jobs and create a steady stream of prosperity. We need to tear down every obstacle that limits our people and their potential, but we have to be careful not to artificially advance others too. The All American Movement sees a clear distinction between fighting for freedom, and taking the short-term position of weakness, jealousy and guilt, promoted by socially popular organizations today.
If some of these thoughts seem tough, or polarizing, we understand how it might, but we also encourage you to think, long and hard about it, so you might come to your own conclusion.
Two wrongs do not make a right. Satisfaction, happiness and self-worth only come from earned accomplishment. We need to strive to make our nation the most meritocratic in the world. We need to free our economic and educational systems to maximize jobs and create a steady stream of prosperity. We need to tear down every obstacle that limits our people and their potential, but we have to be careful not to artificially advance others too. The All American Movement sees a clear distinction between fighting for freedom, and taking the short-term position of weakness, jealousy and guilt, promoted by socially popular organizations today.
If some of these thoughts seem tough, or polarizing, we understand how it might, but we also encourage you to think, long and hard about it, so you might come to your own conclusion.
Ending Racism
It is easy to mistake our efforts as a reaction to the Black Lives, All Lives, and/or Blue Lives Matter Movements. The truth is, our efforts to solve our nation's biggest socioeconomic problems, improve K12 education, and end the violence prevalent in too many of our cities, began almost two decades ago. You are only hearing about us now, because our books and solution set(s) are finally ready for primetime as an overarching theme.
Our organization was founded upon a love of, and respect for, All Americans. We realize that there are, and may always be, some level of bigotry in America, and the world; and there are people with outright hatred in their hearts (pray for these people, and that they may never negatively affect your life) for one set of people or another.
Beyond them, most people, of all persuasions, have some degree of inexperience, innocent ignorance, learned stereotypes, and bias inside. We believe the best way for us, and our children to minimize this, is to actually experience, communicate, and build friendships with people outside of our normal circles. People have to step out of their comfort zone; and institutions such as schools, teams and businesses need to give people abundant opportunities to interact.
In sports, an athlete is more likely to score if they stay focused on the goal. Focusing on the flight of the ball causes one to miss the mark, badly. Similarly, we believe the better way to eliminate the -isms of the world, and today's nasty political climate, is to stop focusing on the past, and start getting people together, to keep our eyes on the prize, to relentlessly purse The All American Ideal, and The All American Dream. We hope you do too.
We believe bigotry exposes inner weakness. It comes from feelings of inferiority, not superiority. Great people are confident. They exude abundance, not scarcity. They help others. They understand we all do well when each of us does better.
We fully support equality, civil rights, freedom and equal justice for all. We believe organizations like BLM have serious points to consider, but we also do not agree with everything they stand for, as we believe whole-heartedly in the free enterprise system, and the inherent goodness of people. We think these ideas and ideals transcend color, sex, and religious affiliation.
In case you are curious about the image above, we offer a couple of shirt designs as a way to express support for civil rights. The first, is a yellow triple-underlined All American logo. It acknowledges the overdue conversations, people like the BLM movement have brought to the table, while standing proudly for true All American ideals and ideas.
The second, I AM A SOUL design, takes the famous I AM A MAN message, a step further. It is our way of reminding people that we are all more than a man (or woman). We are people with souls. We are creatures of God. We have innate value, and when we do wrong against another, we ultimately blemish ourselves.
The design is available with and without the thought, "Are we physical beings having spiritual experiences? or... Are we spiritual beings having physical experiences?" on the back of the shirt. We offer this version, because we believe a person's response to this fundamental question, impacts one's ultimate approach to the issues of the day. Click the link or image above if you would like some All American apparel with one of these designs.
Our organization was founded upon a love of, and respect for, All Americans. We realize that there are, and may always be, some level of bigotry in America, and the world; and there are people with outright hatred in their hearts (pray for these people, and that they may never negatively affect your life) for one set of people or another.
Beyond them, most people, of all persuasions, have some degree of inexperience, innocent ignorance, learned stereotypes, and bias inside. We believe the best way for us, and our children to minimize this, is to actually experience, communicate, and build friendships with people outside of our normal circles. People have to step out of their comfort zone; and institutions such as schools, teams and businesses need to give people abundant opportunities to interact.
In sports, an athlete is more likely to score if they stay focused on the goal. Focusing on the flight of the ball causes one to miss the mark, badly. Similarly, we believe the better way to eliminate the -isms of the world, and today's nasty political climate, is to stop focusing on the past, and start getting people together, to keep our eyes on the prize, to relentlessly purse The All American Ideal, and The All American Dream. We hope you do too.
We believe bigotry exposes inner weakness. It comes from feelings of inferiority, not superiority. Great people are confident. They exude abundance, not scarcity. They help others. They understand we all do well when each of us does better.
We fully support equality, civil rights, freedom and equal justice for all. We believe organizations like BLM have serious points to consider, but we also do not agree with everything they stand for, as we believe whole-heartedly in the free enterprise system, and the inherent goodness of people. We think these ideas and ideals transcend color, sex, and religious affiliation.
In case you are curious about the image above, we offer a couple of shirt designs as a way to express support for civil rights. The first, is a yellow triple-underlined All American logo. It acknowledges the overdue conversations, people like the BLM movement have brought to the table, while standing proudly for true All American ideals and ideas.
The second, I AM A SOUL design, takes the famous I AM A MAN message, a step further. It is our way of reminding people that we are all more than a man (or woman). We are people with souls. We are creatures of God. We have innate value, and when we do wrong against another, we ultimately blemish ourselves.
The design is available with and without the thought, "Are we physical beings having spiritual experiences? or... Are we spiritual beings having physical experiences?" on the back of the shirt. We offer this version, because we believe a person's response to this fundamental question, impacts one's ultimate approach to the issues of the day. Click the link or image above if you would like some All American apparel with one of these designs.
Celebrate The SUMNation
If you have already read the All American story of our humorous beginnings and the meaning behind our many sub-brands you've seen our emphasis and belief in the beauty of America's melting pot or what we call, The SUMNation.
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If you identify with these All American ideals/identities, we encourage you to make a statement, sport some of our great looking gear, and show everyone your pride in being a true All American. Just click one of the images to the right to be taken to our store, where you can purchase something in stock, or design your own All American SWAG for you, a friend, or someone you love. |
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