Typical American

My brother posed a great question. He asked "Are you a typical American? What makes you think you are?" (paraphrased) It's a genius question because it makes you really think about what being American means and how you fit in to your own narrow definition of American. So here is my belated answer.

Am I a typical American? I have to answer yes. From this blog, you can tell I'm not particularly patriotic. In fact, I think nationalism is one of the great stains on both foreign and domestic policy. But when it comes down to it, I'm just another typical American.

Why? It's because this is the social milieu in which I was raised. It's where I feel most comfortable. It's an accident of birth. But I could never be American strictly on the basis of high minded ideals like liberty and democracy. Many peoples have those beliefs, yet aren't typical Americans.

So what makes me a typical American? I would rather point out flaws than do anything to change them. I'm not particularly willing to make sacrifices, even though they may be better for everyone in the long term. (As my lovely wife pointed out, she's gone through many difficulties in being a vegetarian and practicing what she believes. Like a typical American, I'm not really going to do that unless there's a very good, very specific reason). I'm a typical American because every day I take advantage of the personal rights we have (speech, press, assembly, etc.) and don't think twice about them. I take for granted the things I have that 90% of the world lives without. I still produce hundreds of pounds of garbage a year. I waste food that could have fed the billion starving people in the world. I tend to be individualistic. I like to think I got where I am not because I had help but because I did it myself. And, like many Americans, I find 99% of other Americans ignorant fools.

Personally, I don't want to be an American. I don't want anyone to identify with abstract concepts and arbitrary boundaries on maps. Those concepts only lead to exclusion, fear, violence, and hate. I want people to just be human, to worry about their own affairs and take care of their families. Spend less time telling other people what to believe and why. Treat them like people. You may not like their ideas or fashion or music or gods. But that's no reason to trample them. But maybe that's a part of being human though...the need to act superior and stronger than others. I think it's not. I think it's something that began as a defense and safety mechanism in pre-homo sapiens and has since become irrelevant. But it still goes on. It's still being taught in schools. Not out right, but silently, often by omission. We've defined our territory, our social boundaries, our comfort zone. Conform or die or be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

So yeah, I'm a typical American. But that's my definition of American. I'm not proud of much of what this country has done, often in the name of "the people". But I don't have to agree with everything that happens. That's the beauty of being in America. You can disagree with everything but still be accepted (with the following current exceptions: Hispanics, Latinos, Muslims, Communists). But I can't imagine living anywhere else. No matter how much I love to travel and see new places and ideas, I'll probably never be as comfortable there as I am here.