Hi Texan,
I am curious about that comment... In any given day I run into a
whole lot of people in America that don't look, talk, or dress like
me. Because I really do value the 'melting pot' nature of America I
never think the word 'foreign' when I meet these people. What does
an American look like? Jew, Christian, Muslim, none of the above.
Caucasian, Indian, Black, Hispanic, Asian... All Americans if they
want to be... I do love to hear their story (as I do with all
people) so I ask a lot of questions. Where are you from? Why did
you move to America? How do you like it? What do you think about it?
I am from England and I moved to the USA in 2001, I got laid off from my crappy job and after hunting and hunting for a new job in England decided I would try another country, I had a pen pal from the US and I went over to see her (she is my girlfriend now and lives with me) and look for work.
I eventually found a really good job with much better prospects etc.
I do like America, there is loads of space, people are more open about talking to you and seem more relaxed. Having worked in a bad job I especially like the work environment, much better than my experience in the UK. I actually have a voice, and the bosses boss will listen to what I have to say, I feel valuable in the company, a week and a half ago I got a sizeable pay rise, I didn't even ask for!
I once read a quote from someone somewhere that described America as a nation of (don't take this the wrong way, its not intended to offend) children, starting on a journey to build a new nation; and I think it is true in a way.
This has good sides and bad sides, but I don't want to ramble on about that right now, I am at work and their not THAT relaxed! :O)
True we have had fewer foreign terrorists on our home soil because
of our goegraphic situation. But we have lost plenty of lives in
terrorist acts both here and abroad, both self-inflicted and
foreign, both political and religious.
The thing I find is you are very far away from all that, the news in the US tends to water things down (I guess all news agencies do this to varying amounts), then chase the next big "story". See how little news is devoted to Bin Laden any more, he is presumeably still at large and the biggest threat to the US in the world, after all he is directly responseable for killing almost 3000 US and foreign civilians, Saddam Hussein hasn't really killed any (not taking into account the gulf war).
And terrorism is indeed
frightening to us. I don't see that as a character flaw. I would
think it is frightening to every parent, child, sibling, friend in
the world.
That is also true, but being so "new" on American soil, has Americans not knowing what their role should be "should I support the government?" "should I be suspicious about others?" etc etc
Let me put it in perspective from someone from the "outside"; The IRA who have killed many people, children women and men gets a lot of its financial support from the USA.
USA citizens have paid and fully supported terrorists who kill innocent people, and yet, do English people hate Americans for it? No! Tony Blair is one of the few who actually support Bush in his war.
Look at American attitudes towards the French right now, they are being called "anti american" and "traitors" I find this disgraceful. The French are exercising their democratic right and following the wishes of their people, there is nothing "anti american" about that.
America is a great place, but like an innocent child, it has a lot of growing pains to go through before it is fully mature.
Chris
