What it is to me

Five or six years ago, I was in Las Vegas, NV standing around a shop in a mall waiting to make a purchase. I was watching a salesperson openly argue over the concept of sales tax with a man who from his speech was obviously Russian or from one of the Baltic countries. After quite a long period, I was to the point where I was going to go find another store to shop when they finally reached a detente between them and the Russian customer agreed to pay the sales tax.

I made my purchase and upon leaving, the store walked right into the sales tax customer as I turned the corner of the mall. We both made small talk and began discussing the incident at the store. The shopper did not say where he was from, but explained the concept of sales tax was very abstract to him. He asked me a few questions, and then the big one, when he asked me directly what is was like to be an American.

I consider myself a fairly well traveled person, but in all of my escapades abroad I have never been asked that question before, I had to pause a moment before answering. I told him that to me, being an American could be summed up in one word, freedom that just about puts it all into perspective, the freedom to do whatever you wish, freedom to be whatever you want and freedom to go wherever you desire, pure and unbridled freedom.

He said something about the government forcing sales taxes on you does not sound like freedom to him. I explained that it would be given back to the people of this state through better roads, law enforcement, schooling, etc., and he actually understood what I was trying to get across. We parted ways and as I walked away I actually felt good inside, perhaps we all need a situation such as that once in awhile to remind us of what we are, I know I do.