I am a real American.

I am a real American. I grew up in rural Indiana, in a town so small it doesn’t appear on most state maps. I attended public school from kindergarten through 12th grade, was on the tennis team for four years, in the marching band for three, and graduated with a 4.1 on a four point scale. I have since finished both an undergraduate and master’s degree in architecture. I consider myself to be very lucky to have found a job in my chosen profession that allows me to stay in the Midwest. I currently live downtown in a medium sized city where, despite the fact that I do own a car and could afford to drive, I walk almost everywhere.

I am both an atheist and a pacifist. I believe that people should be judged by their actions, not their race, gender, orientation, religious affiliation, nationality, age, or weight. Although as a man I personally will never be pregnant, I believe that it is every woman’s right to decide whether or not she wishes to be pregnant. I believe that anything is fair game between consenting informed adults: “And it hurt nobody else, do what you will.” I believe that the more a person knows, the better their choices will be. Towards that end I support age appropriate comprehensive sex-ed, in addition to supporting cheap, easy, and reliable access to birth control for anybody who wants it.

I love beer, hate cappuccino, and have never eaten asparagus. I consider intelligence to be the sexiest thing about a person regardless of their gender, second only to a sense of humor (the drier, more sarcastic the better). I believe that the only way the war on drugs will ever be successful is to realize as a culture that marijuana is not a gateway drug, and in all reality is much less harmful to the human body than alcohol.

I am a real American, and anybody who says otherwise is a hatemonger.

I am a real American.

I am a real American. I live in Arizona with my husband and two cats. Our first child is due to be born around Christmas. The pregnancy was not planned, and with every day that passes I grow more grateful that I was able to make the choice to have my son, a choice I made of my own free will, not one the government forced upon me. Something so monumental should always be a choice.

And so it is, and so it always has been, and so it will be, regardless if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The overturning of that law will not save more fetuses. Instead, it will kill more women who are desperate enough to try to take the matter into their own hands.

And perhaps you think it is just, that a woman morally lax enough to become pregnant with a child she can't afford to care for, should die bleeding in her bathtub. And perhaps you are right. But ask yourself this: Do you think that Jesus would gaze into your judging heart and smile at what he sees? I think he would weep.

If all life is precious, then we cannot allow our government to make the sweeping statement that some lives are more precious than others. My son is a parasite. I am his host. He would die without my body to shelter him, without my blood to bring him oxygen. He would die without me. And I can tell you for a fact, having had a serious cancer scare early in my pregnancy, that in turn I would die if it meant I could save my unplanned, unborn son. I would die for him. That is my choice. Take away the choosing, and it loses all meaning.

I am pregnant. I am pro-choice. I am a real American.

I am a real American.

I am a bisexual, atheist feminist. I am a mother to two children, and the wife of a bisexual enlisted Army man, who is currently deployed to Iraq. (For that reason, I am anonymous; even though we are monogamous, the very fact that my husband has told me he is bisexual is enough to earn him a dishonorable discharge. Don't Ask, Don't Tell applies even to the husband-wife relationship.)

I am a survivor of three years of constant sexual abuse, I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I am a walkaway from the neo-Pentecostal movement--they would call me a backslider and reprobate. When I was still with their church, I was called demon-possessed. My extended family has disowned me, because I turned my abuser, my father, into the police.

I do my best to shop both organic and local. Every day I try to live more "green." We have a vehicle, but I often use The Bus (and I'm proud that O'ahu has such a wonderful public transit system). I go to a small yoga studio that is owned and operated by a woman. I am a huge fan of FreeCycle.

I have an auto-immune disease called fibromyalgia. I lost custody of my children because of my diagnosis, and because I walked with a cane. I am fighting to regain custody. I hate that people assume I am a bad mother.

I am a housewife who does temp work. I love to cook, bake, and make candy. I sew, crochet, and embroider for fun. I would love to learn how to spin and weave. I have brewed beer, and I make cordials. I redact old recipes. I am proud of these skills. They do not make me any less of a feminist.

I read voraciously. The classics, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, biographies, even dictionaries and encyclopedias. Web comics, blogs, and list serves are also part of my diet.

I have never voted before, because I was deeply conflicted. This is the first year that I've registered, and I will vote, although neither candidate really stands for everything that I believe in. I believe in the separation of church and state; clergy should not be performing legal marriages. Any consenting adults, regardless of gender or orientation, should be able to be legally married. I believe that anyone who volunteers for the military should be allowed to serve in any position that they are qualified for, again regardless of gender or orientation. I believe that everyone has the right to health care. I wish that the government could be smaller, and that anyone who is proved to be corrupt would be kicked out of office and barred from ever running again.

I am tired of being invisible. I am a real American.

I am a real American

I'm a real American. I have a master's degree. I live near and work in New York now, but I come from a small town in Western Illinois where the main industry was John Deere and some struggling family farms. I will never make $250K. I hate arugula. I read trashy romance novels by the pound. I can't stand most beer, love hard cider, love a good white wine, and love pie. And cheesecake. I don't go to church.

I believe I should have a choice, if I became pregnant. I believe that some market regulation is necessary. I believe that we are in an energy crisis and that we absolutely must pursue alternative fuels if we want to survive it. I believe all men, women and children are created equal. I think anyone who wants to get married should be able to. I believe terrorism can be fought without impugning on the rights of citizens. I believe we need to work with our friends and allies more closely, rather than continue to alienate them.

I am a real (fucking) American.

I am a real American.

I am a real American. I have lived in seven US states and the District of Columbia, and in every one of those places - from New York and San Francisco, to the small Midwestern towns - I have met people I love and remain in awe of. I have never earned anywhere near $250,000 dollars a year, and never expect to. My parents, both the first in their families to go to college, and both professionals with advanced degrees, have never earned $250,000, separately or combined. I made $50,000 last year, through a combination of grants and the $30,000 a year job I am thrilled to have, because it means that for the foreseeable future I'll be able to pay my rent, be an artist, and have health insurance, all at the same time, which is rare. I've been uninsured for various periods of my life, and have had both my best and worst medical care experiences
at city run free clinics. I have never owned any property, or a car. I don't have a license and have never learned to drive. I was called a nigger twice before my 18th birthday. I was sexually assaulted twice before my 18th birthday. I blamed myself for the latter, but not the former. I was raised Christian, but have been agnostic for most of my adult life. I have three university degrees, one from an Ivy League university, and two from Midwestern state schools. I can't drink coffee. I'm a vegetarian. I go to the gym three days a week. I weigh more than charts say I should. I make a bad ass homemade blueberry pie, and an even better buttermilk chocolate cake. I never wear flat shoes, because I like the sound heels make when I walk. I've been a registered Independent since I was old enough to vote, because I think the Republicans would rather I didn't exist, and the Democrats take me for granted. I want all of my gay friends to be able to get married if they want to. I lived in New York on September 11th, and knew three people who but for uncanny coincidences would have been in World Trade Plaza that morning, and after seeing that destruction, and briefly experiencing the fear of not knowing where someone I loved was, and whether they were hurt, I don't see how anyone could ever wish that experience on anyone else. I have been to three other countries, two through free travel programs, and speak one language other than English. Seventy languages were spoken at my public high school. I can't remember what life was like before the Internet. I'm not big on beer or wine, but I'm a fan of rum, vodka, and tequila, though not all at the same time.

I am a real American.

I went to public school in suburban New Jersey. I went to a private liberal arts college in Vermont, where I majored in English and minored in studio art. Now I live with my boyfriend in San Francisco. I make $36,000 a year. Four years ago, I voted for Michael Badnarik, the Libertarian candidate. Four years before that, I wasn't old enough to vote. I have donated money to the Libertarian Party, and earlier this month, I donated to Barack Obama.

I read a lot of books and blogs and I watch a lot of television and movies. I like wine, weed, candy, cuddling, comedies, abstract expressionist art, fashion, and people who have something interesting to say. I appreciate nuance, self-awareness, and thoughtfulness. I like dogs. I take the bus. Sometimes I am pretentious, sometimes I am disdainful, sometimes I am selfish, sometimes I am superficial, sometimes I am humble, and sometimes I am shy. I always strive to be compassionate and understanding.

I believe in personal responsibility. I do not think that the government should legislate morality, and I think that the government should stay out of our personal lives and personal decisions, as long as we are not infringing on the rights of others. I believe in God, and I also believe in a separation of church and state. I believe that a woman's ability to control her own reproductive system is a crucial step towards gender equality and as such, I believe in safeguarding access to contraception, including emergency contraception, as well as access to abortion. I don't think that it is the government's job to define marriage, but I think that all committed couples should be guaranteed the same rights, regardless of their sexual orientation. I think the war on drugs is a failure. I think cannabis should be legalized. I think that some drugs really do expand your mind, and I think that a lot of Americans could use some mind expansion. I believe in education, including comprehensive sex education. I don't think that education automatically equates to elitism. I think universal health care is a good idea. I think we should stop spending so much money in Iraq, and start bringing our troops home.

I don't think that loving your country means blindly accepting the decisions of its leaders. And I think that we are all "real Americans," even if we don't all share the same beliefs and values.