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· 4TH OF JULY, THE YEAR 2005WE’RE NOT ALL BAD
Some reasons I don’t regret becoming an American citizen:
- Education: we have the best colleges in the world, and a culture that is fairly supportive of these institutions
- Public libraries. Books. For free. Everywhere. Who’s pinko commie idea was that, anyway?
- Open space. The long-standing tradition (100 years?) of preserving open space as parks or preserves seems fairly unique here, at least compared to Europe. Especially out here in the west, there’s just so much land to ramble around.
- National Public Radio. Free, high-quality infotainment. Maybe not quite as expansive as the BBC, but certainly as good.
- Barbeque. Ok, I’m not from the South, and I’ve only really had it from North Carolina, and I’m no expert, but damn it tastes good. A uniquely American culinary invention.
- Cars. I know, cars are evil, they pollute, there are too many of them, etc, etc, but what says ‘personal freedom’ more than your very own automobile? The ability to go anywhere at any time is the most liberating sensation I’ve felt in the past few months, after relying exclusively on favors and public transport for 1.5 years. As much as I love trains and buses (and still use them regularly), I never want to give up the ability to drive. If we ever get affordable emissions-free vehicles I won’t even have to feel guilty about it.
- Hip hop. I’m even more removed from the culture of hip-hop than I am from the culture of barbeque, but there’s no denying it’s American. Sure, like all aspects of American culture parts of it have tumesced into hideous bulbous commercial excesses, but that doesn’t mean the base isn’t still cool and vital. Like, barbeque, it’s something I should learn more about.
5 COMMENTS
I forgot that you were Canadian. Are you a dual citizen? I much prefer bikes and trains to cars.
No, now I’m 100% American. And I love my bike, it gets me all around town, but it doesn’t get me anywhere else.
Education. We may have good colleges, but our primary and secondary schools are significantly lacking. What good is it if we educate the world but not ourselves?
Barbecue. Should be spelled with a q. I’d love to have a grill, but I don’t have a porch or anything, and it saddens me.
Cars. They may be the ultimate in freedom, but wouldn’t it be *better* to be able to go anywhere, anytime with mass transit. I also feel very liberated when I don’t have a car and I can romp around on subways, etc. Here, Amtrak is horrible so non-metro trains are horrible, but in Europe its much more practical. Cars are the ultimate in control and freedom [to run into a tree], but mass transit has its perks – especially that bit about not having to do any driving.
Hip hop. Like its name, it can be summarized in two words: Ugh, die.
Hey, I’m not saying it ain’t easy to find fault with our home land, but I thought I’d take the more challenging route, replete with italics. You are completely right about barbeque, don’t know why I trusted my spellchecker on that one. Changing now.
But you are completely wrong about cars. I live in an area with way the hell more public transport options than Albany, and while it is nice not to drive to work every day, it still sucks to feel your life confined to the limited web of train and bus lines. I could never take a bus to go look for weird squidgy things under rocks at 6 am. Or at least not the weird squidgy things I’m interested in. And you couldn’t go everywhere, anytime with mass transit unless the masses all want to go to the same places at the same times. And even if they did, it still wouldn’t be better, because the masses are infamously stinky.
If you don’t like hip hop, you are a terrorist.
i always just write “bbq” and leave it at that. most of the support of colleges is the support of football and basketball. :-P