Just What I Needed

I've been a little angry recently, I have to admit. Why? Because I love the United States. I know that we, as a people, institution, culture, and system of government, have major issues, and we have made grave mistakes and continue to make them to this day. I will admit this to anyone, at any time, in any context.

But I am NOT defined by my citizenship. Just like I am not defined by my race, gender, sexual orientation, height, cereal preference (Honey Bunches of Oats) or what color socks I wear. So when some douchebag in my politics class, who worships our lecturer as if he's the Second Coming, says, "Ha, that's a very American thing to say" when I neutrally express critical opinions on our lecturers style of teaching, I tell him "Excuse you. That was extremely rude." Because just because I roll my eyes at the prof's "I am too good to teach this sort of bullshit, it's all just the dept. subverting my alternative and beautiful mind, I shit gold nuggets" attitude does NOT mean that I am some sort of elitist, capitalist, hegemonic red-eyed demon that our lecturer has painted my entire home country to be. And, as I pointed out in class, there is a distinction between the American people and the institution of America, and to impose that upon me based on next to nothing would have been to tantamount to accusing that greasy long-haired, bad-goateed, obnoxious-voiced fan-gasming boy that he's a racist Boer because he is a white South African. When I expressed that, although our Prof's viewpoint is valid and important, I wished that he presented multiple points of view, including the mainstream, he replied, "Oh, you must be the type to vote for George Bush or Mitt Romney." with a dumb sneer. You could practically smell the rotten, acrid aroma of his misplace derision dripping from his tone. I wanted to punch him in the face. Instead, I told him that he was extremely offensive, off-base, and I would no longer be speaking to him because he proven to be immature and uneducated. Then he spent the next five minutes stammering out the most lame, insincere apology ever, which I graciously accepted then told him to piss off.

The problem is, he's not the only one. There's a fairly high level of dislike for Americans here, and I cannot blame them. After all, the US had supported the apartheid government. However, people, even academics, have stated their outdated stereotypes as if they're fact. As in, not up for debate. As in, "Oh, you're American. You are responsible for Bush being president. You kill orphans in Vietnam with your capitalist hegemony over the world. You support nuclear annihilation of the rainforest. You must be educated. Anything you think or do is based off of your padded life of privilege and therefore couldn't possibly be emancipatory in nature. Obviously, you're going to burn in hell. Have a nice day."

The worst part is, after enough people tell you this, it gets to you. I've been wondering if I really have a leg to stand on to defend myself, my country, in a court of classroom or discussion. But then, by random happenstance, I found an odd file that I had saved on my computer back in my high school senior year. It was a lengthy IM argument I had with a classmate and friend at the time about the US superiority complex.

Other
and you know, we could uplift the world if other countries didn't keep sending us cheap shit and trying wreck our economy. The thing about that destructive power is everything rises and falls with us. so if people try to bring us down, they inadvertently bring themselves down as well
Janni
hey, if we had the resources, we would sell people cheap stuff too. dont be so quick to look down your nose
Other
you mean if our government sanctioned paying people $5 a week and living in shantytowns outside Mumbai. unfortunately, we believe that we have the right to the Pursuit of Happiness, which right now requires much more than a dollar a day
Janni
the issue isn't the rest of the world, its the HUMANITY. You cannot blame the rest of the world for characteristics that EVERYONE has within themselves, more or less
Janni
I love this country. I love that one can say what they want without fear here. But I also recognize that we make mistakes too, and we, just like the rest of the world, are just people
Other
indeed. and toyotas are "just cars." funny how they all seem to crash now. some things are better than others
Janni
that's SO not the same thing at all
Other
it is. With every thing, living or not, there's the bell curve.
Janni
so because a person is from China or France or South Africa they're "not as good" as Americans?

Whoa. I mentioned South Africa? That jarred me a little. As I read through the ridiculously long text, I ran into a lot of the ideas that I have developed over the past few years. It wasn't my liberal arts education that led me to believe in the equal importance of all humans, a need for humility, the interconnectedness beyond nations, and a re-evaluation of global priorities. I didn't need a pretentious professor to tell me to think outside my home country, or to think about the less fortunate as equal, to respect their struggles. I admit, some of the things I said in the conversation were off-base and inaccurate, but the basic core of my ideology hasn't changed, and for that I am proud. And I won't let these pseudo-intellectuals tell me that just because I am privileged, my opinions are moot and irrelevant. My well-founded, non-oppressive ideas are Made in the USA. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

So screw you, you misguided myopic creep. Keep your false idol. Worship your lecturer/god. Tell me that I'm a "typical American" one more time. I dare you. You're only going to prove your own ignorance.