I’m already sick of hearing about “change”. I did get a big kick out of the juxtaposition between the “Yay! We’re not racist any more!” and the slobbering over having a black president. This is the large-scale equivalent to “I’m not homophobic, I have a gay friend!” Folks, we’re just as obsessed with color as we were before. I wish I had a dollar for every person who voted against Obama because he’s black and another for everyone who voted for him because he’s black and that’s so historic.
Still. With all of this talk of change, there are some things that I think we should hold fast to.
First, if you promised or threatened to move out of the country if Obama got elected, get out. I’m serious. You’re the six year old who screams that he’s running away every time he doesn’t get his way. Be a man (or woman) of your word, and get the hell out. We don’t need you or want you. You do nothing for the political discourse and, maybe worse, your threats have been ineffective: the man still got elected.
Second, if you were one of those asshole Americans who wore Canada logos when you went abroad so people wouldn’t know you were an American, you are hereby forbidden from wearing American flag gear for your next trip abroad. You’re a fair-weather fan. If you can’t be proud of your country without being proud of your president, you’re not really much of an American anyhow. In fact, you should just join our friends from the previous paragraph in Canada.
Finally, if you ever, at any point during the presidency of George W. Bush, uttered words similar to “he’s not my President”, you have lost your right to talk about unity or ask conservatives to join up to your initiatives. You’re not a team player. You’re just another self-righteous partisan jerk who stonewalls when you don’t like the party in power and then cries about partisanship when you can’t get support for your initiatives. You’re a hypocrite.
Tags: Barack Obama
You nailed it. Well said.
And this is coming from someone who almost never agrees with any of your political opinions.
Frankly, I don’t WANT those Americans who have given us Canadians a bad name by wearing OUR logo on their travel bags living in my home and native land (the ones who weren’t idiotic enough to give us a bad name, I can take or leave).
That said, it was interesting to see what all the brouhaha looked like as for an inauguration — not that there was anything else on TV during the daytime anyway.
And I’m agreeing with the ‘keeping your promises’ thing…
I didn’t do this myself, but my sister mentioned that when she was traveling in Europe last year one of her friends was actually attacked, and pretty much beat up, for being an American. Since she didn’t want that to happen to her, she removed all signs of American-ness from herself and told people she was Canadian if they asked.
Luckily, nothing bad ever happened to her.
Bottom line: I disagree with that point. If you’re traveling somewhere and our own foreign policy makes it unsafe for you personally, tell people you’re from anywhere else they’ll believe.
a) I really don’t believe that your sister’s friend was “beat up for being an American” — did this make the news anywhere? But, even if she was, I doubt that this was anything more than an isolated incident with one crazy idiot.
b) If going abroad is dangerous for an American, Americans should stay home. First, because we shouldn’t be financially supporting countries that endanger us. Second, because you can never be sure that people are going to assume you’re Canadian or believe you when you tell them.
Believe it or not, I don’t care. I don’t know of what news reports there might have been. When my sister emailed and said her friend got beat up (and no, I don’t know the extent of the injuries, it could have been pretty minor) I didn’t ask for a lie detector test.
It may have been a “crazy idiot” but why take the chance. Also despite having heard this, you may not be concerned for your safety, but my younger sister was. I think it’s pretty short-sighted to imply that she shouldn’t be concerned.
As for “if going abroad is dangerous…stay home” that’s ridiculous! So you’re saying that because our government is being an asshole to other countries we, as citizens can’t go see/experience the world? Hello, Japan prior to Commodore Perry!
As for not supporting countries that endanger us, it is the citizens, not the country itself, and very few citizens at that who would be an actual danger, “we” are not supporting “them.”
As for not being sure people would assume/believe, that’s true, but better to keep them uncertain than sure they hate you.
Anyway, as I said, when I was there I never had a problem and was never afraid of letting it be known that I was American. That did lead to some uncomfortable conversations, however, that I would have prefered to avoid. I didn’t, but I can’t blame someone who feels actual fear from wanting to travel the world in peace.
My guess is that there’s another side to that friend’s story.
Either way, no harm done, but if the real reason to shield your nationality before was in case some random lunatic hates Americans and might attack you… no reason to change now that we have a new president. Same thing could still happen.
Of course, that’s not the reason most people did it.