The death of anti-gay hate speech is no doubt being hastened by the head-spinning speed with which gays as a group - to say nothing of gay marriage - are becoming an unremarkable and even quite traditional parts of American life.

You know Americans are obsessed with life and death and rebirth that's the American Cycle. You know awakening tragic horrible death and then Phoenix rising from the ashes. That's the American story again and again.

I mean in the South African case many of those who were part of death squads would have been respectable members of their white community people who went to church on Sunday every Sunday.

Right now I'm as single as a slice of American cheese.

Dad worked his entire career as an aviation technician. Mom was a legal secretary who became a teacher. We lived a simple American life.

My mum's parents were from Ireland my dad's mum was American-Irish.

I'm probably going to get in trouble for this but 'American Dad' is one of my favourite shows. It gets very dark in places but the jokes are there.

Dad was a chemistry professor at Saint Olaf College in Minnesota then Oxford College in Minnesota and a very active member of the American Chemical Society education committee where he sat on the committee with Linus Pauling who had authored a very phenomenally important textbook of chemistry.

If you met my dad I think a lot of things would be put to rest. Because my pops is a pretty silly guy. But Coldcut they're based in the U.K. I'm a big fan of jazz music so American music has had a big influence on what I listen to.

My parents moved to American Samoa when I was three or four years old. My dad was principal of a high school there. It was idyllic for a kid. I had a whole island for a backyard. I lived there until I was eight years old and we moved to Santa Barbara.

I think 'Family Guy' and 'American Dad' have definitely staked out their own style and territory and now the accusations are coming that 'The Simpsons' is taking jokes from 'Family Guy.' And I can tell you that ain't the case.

I'm not an American but I have this weird connection to America in different ways through my dad living here for five years my godfather being an American who I'm very close to.

My dad is a Deadhead my mom's a Jewish-American princess from Jersey.

I'm the whitest guy you will ever meet. The first time I saw an African-American my dad had to tell me to stop staring.

We must remind Americans that the promise of opportunity remains unbroken - that every person in this great nation can succeed through hard work courage and personal responsibility.

It is our conduct our patriotism and belief in our American way of life our courage that will win the final battle.

The British were indeed very far superior to the Americans in every respect necessary to military operations except the revivified courage and resolution the result of sudden success after despair.

As a gay Jewish white South African I belong to quite a lot of minority groups. You constantly have to question who you are what you are and whether you have the courage to be who you are.

Americans are gathering the courage to just say no. We are saying no to addictive consumer lifestyles. We are saying no to wars and corporate takeover and the IMF loans that gobble up people and their resources.

For as long as this nation has known war we have embraced the heroes it has produced. Americans have rightfully noted the honor and nobility of courage under hostile fire and thanked those who perished in their defense.

The criteria for serving one's country should be competence courage and willingness to serve. When we deny people the chance to serve because of their sexual orientation we deprive them of their rights of citizenship and we deprive our armed forces the service of willing and capable Americans.

The quality that defines us as Americans is the courage to respond to being hit. The courage to root out and destroy the killers. And most importantly the courage to hold on to our values and protect our hard-won freedoms while doing it.

It is up to African leaders to show their will and political courage in order to assure that this new pan-African institution becomes an efficient instrument and not a place for endless discussions.

With courage and character American soldiers continue to put themselves on the line to defend our freedom and so many have paid the ultimate sacrifice.