As a recent emigrant from the United States, I find myself
more and more attempting to downplay, or outright hid, my country of
origin. And, as I read articles about
“Black Friday” violence I find myself cowering further into the corner.
There is a good amount of news coverage on the U.S. around
the globe. And, like all news, if it
bleeds it leads. Certainly, random acts
of kindness rarely make it on the news.
There are no TV crews following do-gooders around. That is what makes voluntary kind acts so
appreciative. But, when the U.S.
unilaterally invades a country, it is plastered on the front page of the Yekaterinburg
News. And rightfully so. Military incursions by one sovereign
nation-state in another is world news.
But, is that what I will be labeled?
Is that the only thing that defines people from the U.S.?
The logical and philosophical answer is “Of course not.” However, combine such news items with
entertainment exports and the picture being painted is not necessarily a
positive one. When one has never been to
the U.S. media and stereotypes form the basis of judgment about its
people. We can always enter social
situations with an open mind but tucked away neatly under the stack of aging
newsprint is a stereotype assembled over time.
What must people think when they see “Black Friday”
violence? It must be horrifying to think
that a simple and joyful task of buying someone a gift can come with the price
tag of one’s life. Even more insidious
is that this violence is not born of necessity but begat from greed manifested
by companies and living, breathing human beings.
It is instances like this where I channel Rick Blaine.
We sit in the pub near the open fire. “What’s your nationality?” they ask. “I’m a drunkard.” And that makes me a citizen of the world.
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