I think at the time, Senator Barack Obama made many positive points about the actions of our fathers founders more than two hundred years ago. Our great and beautiful country would not have been what it is today if this group of courageous men had not come to this room in Philadelphia and sighed the Declaration of Independence. This document was and remains the foundation of our country. It represents more than our independence from oppressive Britain, but also the highlighting of what makes America, America. The idea of ​​prematurely documenting a country's quest for life, liberty and happiness truly paved the way for a prosperous society. This individualism and courage is what many Americans claim to still have within themselves. Which then begs the question: what is an American? What characteristics does a “real” American have within themselves? Should a true American be courageous and willing to rebel against the powers that be if they believe it is oppressive? Must a true American possess the qualities that were ingrained in the blood of our founding fathers? I think Senator Barack Obama is a great example of what a courageous modern-day American is. Even in 2008, he is able to look back and see things that were oppressive then. He had the courage to stand a block away from where the documents were being written and talk about what he thought needed to be talked about. He takes the time to highlight an action of these gentlemen which is frowned upon today. The continuation of the slave trade. The slave trade that took place in the United States was a dark period in American history. As an African American woman, writing about this topic ... middle of paper ...... had to file for bankruptcy, and that's when Ashley decided she needed to do something something to help his mother. “Because of the hardships she faced, her eyes were also opened to the plethora of injustices occurring in our country. This led her to “help the millions of other children across the country who also want and need to help their parents.” WOW, what a course! Is this what I'm referring to about what a real American is? That's my definition of a true American. All the other examples the senator used to make his point all came back, in my opinion, to what a person's true idea of ​​being an American is. I believe that those who have the courage to do what is right for others and not just themselves in the face of uncertainty, that is what a true American truly is. This is what I was able to extract from the speech.