Originally posted by popcornbird
An example of American ignorance about other people:

Today we went to the store to return a tweezer that my mom bought yesterday because it didn't work good. We got this old racist cashier when we went to return it. He started yelling at us and saying, "WHY DO YOU WANT TO RETURN IT???? THERE"S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT? WHY????? AND WHY ARE YOU HERE SO LATE? WHY COULDN'T YOU RETURN IT IN THE MORNING???" UGH!

??? Pops, this is an assumption on your part, I think, of this guy's racist attitude. I am pretty American looking..light hair, blue eyes, fair skin...and stuff like this happens all the time. Pops, I can't put myself in your shoes. I do not know discrimination. I haven't been a victim of it, I haven't really seen it in my life, but, I have had close friends that have. If I may give you an example. I am Godmother to an african american girl, who is now a teenager. I have known her since three months of age, and love her to pieces. I regret I am not intimately involved in her life right now. But, for years, I was. She and I would do things together..I would babysit her, we would run errands, etc. Sometimes we would be alone- her mom would be doing whatever she was doing. Sometimes, though, all three of us would be out. I usually was begging to carry the child, hold her hand, etc. Well, on more than one occasion, the mom would tell me, "Johanna, do you see that woman (funny, usually a white older woman) staring at you and XXX?" I would never notice, cause I wasn't looking for it...I haven't really been on that end of it..My point? I am not sure I have one, just that people's points of reference are so different. Maybe one person is hypersensitive to a situation, seeing fault where none exists. Or, maybe they are like me, not seeing it, cause it isn't on my radar. I know it exists. I have one or two experiences of a personal nature in another form of discrim. As a female attorney, I think it exists...but, it isn't the same as what you are experiencing, of that I am pretty sure.


Ann- I really take exception to essentially your entire post. I am not sure how someone could make such a general statement about an entire country, based on your admittably biased 'research' (talking over the internet to hundreds and hundreds). I, for one, am far from ignorant. I am highly educated, intelligent, bright, articulate, blah blah blah...and I am definetely American. I would choose to live no where else but here. My friends are not ignorant, my family is not ignorant, essentially, my profession is not ignorant (no lawyer jokes now folks). But, I will be the first to admit I don't know all the US capitals, I don't know world geography, I don't know most countries political structures, and I don't lose sleep over the mistreatment of humans outside of my center of life. Do I wish it weren't so? Of course. Do I know it goes on? Of course. But, I won't misrepresent myself as some overly humane person, grieving for the world. Why? Cause you have to fight your fights. I choose to focus on myself, my family, friends, community- as big as my country, as small as my neighborhood. I don't condone violence, though I think it is a necessary evil. My point of reference is the United States, my homeland. If that makes me ignorant, so be it. That is, I suppose, an interpretation of ignorance. I find it to be a bit more realistic, and candid than clamoring on about "The World".


The fact is September 11th happened in the USA, to largely American people, innocent at that. I am neither more or less of a person because I allow that tragedy to affect me more than the one in Afghanistan. September 11th was one of the first attacks on American soil. Perhaps that is why it was so traumatic. But, since when is the world about, "my crisis is bigger/better/more important than your crisis"? Does it make the innocent deaths less important to the loved ones? Does it even some imaginable score against the USA , as in "Hah, now see how you like it"?

I just truly struggle with understanding your point of reference. As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, I know our government contributes greatly to other nations. I know we do not receive the same support, in relation to the country's abilities, back. Sure, say it is for 'power', for 'strategy', for 'public relations'...whatever, the fact is, we contribute our people, our resources, our finances...and it doesn't make a lick of difference to the innocent people that recieve the contributions/life style changes/food/medication what the motives behind the donations are.

While I can appreciate your opinion, though I don't understand it, you seem very bent on bringing down the USA in order to make other countries stand tall. I don't think that is necessary. Any country can stand tall on its own, without having to do so at the expense of another country.