X, I am sure you already know that I am annoyingly sensitive and always fighting for the underdog. I was comparing America to other CIVILIZED western countries in talking about the slavery time line. As you may recall, Michael asked me why I didn't feel very patriotic about the United States, and my post was one of explanation to him. While I am certainly willing to talk about this stuff, it wasn't really my intent to suddenly jump up on my soapbox this week and proclaim self-righteously how bad America is. It would not have occurred to me to suggest this as a TOPIC, for example. It usually goes nowhere, and a lot of people get bent out of shape.
I am well aware that most of the world is much more barbaric than it is here. Because we are affluent and well educated, and not stuck with a predominant, extremely fundamentalist religion, we have the knowledge and power to do much more than we are doing to make this society better for everyone, in my opinion, and I really do believe that there are still many blacks, and Native Americans, who deserve our concentrated help.
I would not even dream of living in most of the world!! If we move to Ireland it will be because my husband wants to go home, and I want to live in a little cottage and tend my garden and short-term trade and not work very hard. There is plenty wrong with Ireland, just like everywhere else. There is a lot of racism against foreigners, and prejudice against the travellers. But it is a country that has been dominated--raped and pillaged as it were. Just because of who I am, I kind of like that sort of place more than a huge place like this one. The Irish, for example, donate more money per capita to charities than any other country on earth. Africa is full of Irish nurses and other relief workers trying to help out with the horrible problems there.
I am very curious about Italy. Can you describe what it is like there, and what you particularly liked about it? My daughter is considering taking Italian for her foreign language requirement, so I could drag her along when I go. My French is terribly rusty. |
