Being an American isn& #39;t about where you came from. It& #39;s about what you believe. If you adhere to our values - freedom from oppression, equality under the law, fairness & transparency in government - then you can be American, period. Ours is a nation of ideas, not of heritage.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇺🇸" title="Flag of United States" aria-label="Emoji: Flag of United States">

The radical thing about the American Revolution wasn& #39;t the idea of casting off tyranny - that had been done before. It was the notion that people, from different places, different ethnicities, and different religions, could govern themselves.

Because America is a nation of ideas and values (not blood and soil), protecting those values is tantamount to national security. If and when we abandon our core values, the nation& #39;s security is very much at risk.