As I celebrate Thanksgiving in France, I am distinctly aware of my American-ness. After all, Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. And as grateful as I am to be American, I have become ashamed. I can imagine my mother reading this and saying,"I can’t believe you’d ever be ashamed to be an American!” And my response to that would be, “Really?” It is shocking to me how few Americans keep up with current events. Would the average American know who Gordon Brown is? Would the average American know when the upcoming Pakistani election is set to be held? Would the average American know where Sudan is on a map?
The honest answer to these questions would be no. If you asked almost any citizen of Europe, they would be able to answer these questions. Is it because Europeans are smarter than Americans? No, absolutely not. But, Europeans do pay more attention to the world around them. And this is only because they are not isolated from the rest of the world like the United States is. They know that Gordon Brown is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, that the Pakistani elections will be in January and will hold paramount importance for the rest of the world, and that Sudan is only a short plane ride away from their homes. I am ashamed that my fellow Americans fall for the ridiculous media coverage of the war on Iraq as the “War on Terror” and are unaware of the fact that it’s Pakistan, not Iraq that will determine much of the fate of the Middle East in January. I am ashamed that the rest of the world laughs at the United States and Americans for not being culturally sensitive and at the pathetic state of our economy.
But I am thankful to be American because Americans are able to adapt, this is one thing I know, and can testify to. Here I sit, typing this blog in Paris, France and I have easily adapted to this culture so I know that other Americans can, too. And so I say this with great hope that every American who reads this will look for media information outside the United States. Stop blindly believing that every Arab is a terrorist and that every Middle Eastern country is full of terrorists. Stop and learn why our economy is wrecked and why our dollar is virtually worthless outside the United States. Look around you: see the world, find out about Sudan, learn a language and culture other than your own. But, most importantly…Stop. Look around you. Open your eyes.
The honest answer to these questions would be no. If you asked almost any citizen of Europe, they would be able to answer these questions. Is it because Europeans are smarter than Americans? No, absolutely not. But, Europeans do pay more attention to the world around them. And this is only because they are not isolated from the rest of the world like the United States is. They know that Gordon Brown is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, that the Pakistani elections will be in January and will hold paramount importance for the rest of the world, and that Sudan is only a short plane ride away from their homes. I am ashamed that my fellow Americans fall for the ridiculous media coverage of the war on Iraq as the “War on Terror” and are unaware of the fact that it’s Pakistan, not Iraq that will determine much of the fate of the Middle East in January. I am ashamed that the rest of the world laughs at the United States and Americans for not being culturally sensitive and at the pathetic state of our economy.
But I am thankful to be American because Americans are able to adapt, this is one thing I know, and can testify to. Here I sit, typing this blog in Paris, France and I have easily adapted to this culture so I know that other Americans can, too. And so I say this with great hope that every American who reads this will look for media information outside the United States. Stop blindly believing that every Arab is a terrorist and that every Middle Eastern country is full of terrorists. Stop and learn why our economy is wrecked and why our dollar is virtually worthless outside the United States. Look around you: see the world, find out about Sudan, learn a language and culture other than your own. But, most importantly…Stop. Look around you. Open your eyes.
