“Americans are angry!”
Am I the only one who feels annoyed when someone says they speak for all Americans? The most recent generalized statement I heard was “All Americans are angry.” There was also the one that began “All Americans feel ______” you fill in the blanks.
Sojourner Truth said, “Ain’t I a Woman” well today I am asking, aren’t I an American? If I disagree with those who begin their arugment with those words, does that make me unAmerican. I think not. My country has people of all persuasions, nationalities, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, races, and hues. When I deliver a diversity session that is abundantly apparant as I look around the room and hear the range of opinions. I’ll bet that this year’s Census will point this out even more. People are owning their differences. The great melting pot analogy is passe. Distinct and unique is the way most of us are identifying ourselves today.
The use of words to manipulate and create catchy sound bites…enough already. I love my Grandma and when I hear “this will kill Grandma” I go on automatic, well it must be right. Then I stop and I realize that this too is manipulation just like using the term “all Americans are angry.” It is divisive and mean. I am American and I’m only angry at the supposed experts attempts to put me in a box.