I am an American. Ok, first I am me, then I am a Curry, then I am an American. There has been a growing movement to mischaracterize several things that I believe go to the core of being an American as being un-American. Things like believing that other people have the right to believe differently from you. Whether that belief is religious, lifestyle, or the belief in the sacredness of various symbols, other people should believe differently from you.
I believe that there is no-one in any position in government or life, who can ‘do no wrong.’ I don’t care if it is a president who does not want to talk about personal relations with an intern, while he is dealing with an international issue, or a president who is willing to send people to their deaths because he doesn’t like a specific dictatorship, and is willing to blame it on an event that has nothing to do with the country in question. Both may have made wrong decisions, but the one that got impeached for it isn’t the one that killed fellow Americans.
I take offense that people think we should invade all countries that are predominately Islamic, and “convert” them to Christianity or death. I think such a suggestion goes against the core values of our own Declaration of Independence, which professes that no government should dictate how individuals should believe in whatever deity or deities they find useful.
As an American I am very disappointed to read articles of people completely ignoring the please for help of someone being beaten, mugged, or killed in the streets of our cities. I am even more aghast to read of people professing that we should close off relations with various countries because they are critical of how we are responding to the terrorist attacks we have been the recipient of.
Up until the 1990s, the
That said, pretty much all the terrorist activities we were witness to (plane hijackings, bombings, individual assassinations) were all pretty much localized and between one American and another.
With the attempted bombing of the
But if you take a look at the countries that have been under attack this way already, you will find that some of the very governments that have been most critical of our own actions and responses have been the recipients of some of the worst international terrorist actions over the years.
So when France or Germany are critical and not supportive of our actions, perhaps it is just them watching out for their own interests, or perhaps it’s something more along the lines of “We tried that, it didn’t work, don’t do that.” I.e. possibly good advice, that we are more than just ignoring.
There are some people who think that just because we are a superpower it’s ok for us to dictate how others live their lives. There are also people who will say that all of our problems that have lead to wars and battles are because we are interfering with other countries business and if we just leave them alone they will leave us alone. Both arguments are short sided, and I think wrong. For the first argument, i.e. the “big brother gets to be in charge” argument, we may be a superpower, but we are not immune to being attacked, and if you grew up with a younger sibling, you should know well and good that attempting to control them because they are ’smaller’ than you is a loosing proposition. Eventually they will get back at you.
For the latter argument, the ‘leave them alone, they won’t bother us’ argument, I point back at the stories of people being attacked in our own streets by gangs, or even kids, whom no one goes to help. It is very unlike us to not try to help people who are in trouble. At a national level that very same view is manifested in being critical of countries that have a poor history of human rights, or countries that appear to be encouraging terrorists. At other times it is an outpouring of aid for countries hit by a natural disaster. Yes your neighbor may become hateful of you if you continuously bail them out of financial difficulties, but do you think they are going to be more kindly towards you if you refuse to help when they are out of fuel during a cold winter, or their house has suffered damage during a hurricane or earthquake? I don’t think so either. Resentment comes when you feel that someone is lording it over you because they are in a better position. Helping people in dire need is not something they will believe it lording over them.
I have been on public assistance. I did not like it. One of the serious problems with being on public assistance is that nearly every ‘entry level’ job that is out there leaves you in a worse position than being on public assistance. Almost none of them provide health benefits. Under public assistance, pretty much all health expenses are covered. I challenge anyone to find a way to get health coverage for a small family, (one or two parents, one or two children) on a minimum wage 78 hour per week (two part time jobs) income. For most people it isn’t going to happen. As a result people on public assistance look with fear at getting a job. Most really do not want to be on public assistance. (Yes there are a few who like that life, far too many perhaps, but still a very small percentage of the whole.) Yet once you are on public assistance nearly every first step you can take is off of a precipice. I know I resented the fact that I was on public assistance. The only thing I felt worse about was the looks some of my friends would give me when they were aware that I was living off of AFDC. I am not living in that income bracket today, but I really do not fault anyone who is.
So I understand where people are coming from who are resentful of the
Perhaps the
That doesn’t mean that I think they are un-American. They are. They happen to believe differently than I do, but that’s their right. I don’t think they are right however to accuse me of being un-American either. That, to me, is truly offensive.
Of course it’s just my opinion. Perhaps some others agree however.
-Jay
