came4U
Posts: 3572
Joined: 1/23/2007
From: London, Ontario
Status: offline
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American-ness is the action or emotional viewpoint of where one lives, often not felt or outspoken on a large scale unless something really BIG happens (ie: 9/11).
Otherwise, it is everyone for themselves. Texans scoff at the New Yorkers, Northerners laugh at the Southerners, Cold, hardened Westerners find Californians weak and of lesser ability for hard work.
What they forget, is that they are the same as every other country in regards to pride in Nationality when it comes down to it.
Here, Quebecers love to hate Ontarioians, Oil hungry in Alberta are paranoid of Ottawa getting their share of the black gold and everyone else loves to pick on a newfie.
What it all comes down to it, at any given time is how you feel when your Anthem is played. At a hockey game a Canadian can feel nothing but angst when the American anthem is played, yet if attending the Vietnam Wall and we hear the same tune on bugle, we get chills.
I have lived 'over there', was even American (on paper) but my heart has always been Canadian. We have a different kind of longing when away from home. Maple syrup runs through our blood and Stompin' Tom echos in our minds when boxcars thunder by instead of Yokum. We talk policits of various forms in various forums. If there is anything you can make fun of about Canadians is that we find the time to talk up politics with anybody even standing at a bus stop. By the time a 15 minute wait period has gone by, that discussion is now 10 people, not just two. They flock like locust to the Timmies (liquid-crack) and disperse as fast as they accumulated without so much as a good-bye. Americans are cold, if the same thing were to occur, they fear turning their backpocket towards a crowd and eye about suspiciously afraid to say much publicly.
Anyhoo, Only difference is how a country is looked at from the outside. How Americans have to hide their flag and slap a Canadian one on their backpacks to get any good service or respect in Europe is not something to brag about. Being the most hated country in the world is something that has to change, and being in denial and acting all-inclusive and reclusive isn't going to fix it either.
Obama promised to find ways to fix the reputation of previous administration's mistakes in the rightful suspicions that other countries have of the entire nation and it's people. Lets see if that works.
*if this were written in Que, it would have a sign: All wording must be written in French and english. French larger than english lol. Please notice your restraunt tip is manditory and already calculated onto your bill total and do NOT lick the dribbles from the maple syrup in the carafe (well ok, one lick). merci.
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RE: americanness - 
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