As a historian I *know* about the roots of America - theoretically.
It's just still absolutely confusticating me how that is visible today in so many tangible every-day situations in America.
I grew up to imagine America as some kind of paradise of freedom and unlimited possibilities, and every American still has kind of a halo for me...
My parents grew up with Americans being virtually their *saviours*. They were both children of refugees after WWII. The first Christmas tree that my Dad ever saw was the tree of the Commander of the American Forces! And there's a tale about my husband's father of how the children of his village encountered their first oranges - gifts by American soldiers: only the kids did not know that those orange things were food! They thought they were toys, some kind of weird balls...
Growing up with that kind of image of America simply still leaves me astonished and overwhelmed at... certain kinds of strong convictions.
I think that a part of that astonishement is also due to the fact that most people in my country, for very good reason, are suspicious and fearful about any kind of very strong convictions, no matter about what. The way we had to learn that was very, very bitter.
I've been reading a number of political blogs written by Americans and one thing that comes up again and again is a fear of extremist forces taking over. I've to admit that this frightens me. I hope and I think that America can grow beyond its Puritan roots. I believe that the world needs such an open, free, critical and tolerant America very much.
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rosecarmine
(no subject)
Date: 2006-02-26 02:02 pm (UTC)It's just still absolutely confusticating me how that is visible today in so many tangible every-day situations in America.
I grew up to imagine America as some kind of paradise of freedom and unlimited possibilities, and every American still has kind of a halo for me...
My parents grew up with Americans being virtually their *saviours*. They were both children of refugees after WWII. The first Christmas tree that my Dad ever saw was the tree of the Commander of the American Forces! And there's a tale about my husband's father of how the children of his village encountered their first oranges - gifts by American soldiers: only the kids did not know that those orange things were food! They thought they were toys, some kind of weird balls...
Growing up with that kind of image of America simply still leaves me astonished and overwhelmed at... certain kinds of strong convictions.
I think that a part of that astonishement is also due to the fact that most people in my country, for very good reason, are suspicious and fearful about any kind of very strong convictions, no matter about what. The way we had to learn that was very, very bitter.
I've been reading a number of political blogs written by Americans and one thing that comes up again and again is a fear of extremist forces taking over. I've to admit that this frightens me. I hope and I think that America can grow beyond its Puritan roots. I believe that the world needs such an open, free, critical and tolerant America very much.