I woke up this morning to find a rather interesting comment on yesterday’s post about Christmas. My first instinct was to delete it, with all the other spam I get. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to approve it. Finally it struck me that the author had put so much thought into it, that I couldn’t just let it sit in obscurity, buried under a post. This comment deserved to be seen by everyone. Here’s what they had to say…
Maybe you should go back to Canada since you don’t like America very much, except for the job you took away from an American.
Signed: A Proud American, from WA
Now there are so many problems with this comment, that I hardly know where to begin. I do have to point out that this comment was in reply to a post about Christmas. Apparently the commenter believed that by leaving the States and returning to Canada, I would be able to escape the stresses of Christmas. Perhaps they weren’t aware that we have Christmas in Canada too. Granted, the traffic isn’t as bad because we’re all on dog sleds, and a Christmas tree doesn’t fit in the average igloo. But we have plenty of pine trees (those being the only kind that can grow in the extreme cold up there) that we can hide our presents under.
In fact, Christmas is a mostly global phenomenon — you might be surprised to learn that Christ wasn’t even born in America. He was actually born in Bethlehem, in what we know today as Israel. His birth is celebrated around the world.
Speaking of global phenomenon, my employer is also global. I got the job in Canada, and could have chosen to work out of the Edmonton office, if I’d wanted. I decided against it though, because I was sick of wearing snow shoes all the time, and wanted to see what living in a first world country would be like. I guess you could argue that I stole my cubicle from an American — but you’d have to convince the two Asians on either side of me about that first.
Which reminds me, I needed to ask, what generation immigrant are you? Second, or third? Perhaps your family came over on the Mayflower, and you can proudly proudly trace your lineage back to the first people to steal this land from its original inhabitants — when they were done conquering and displacing them, that is.
After a brief look at history and understanding that, save for the Native Americans, 100% of your citizens are immigrants or descended directly from immigrants — my own son being an American citizen himself and having as much claim to this country as you — it would seem that temporarily working here under a legitimate NAFTA Visa would be one of the most innocuous forms of “immigration” imaginable.
Finally (only because I’m restraining myself here), I need to make clear that I don’t hate America. I’m opposed to its current war, and not in favor of its current President — but I’m in good company, as 61% of your countrymen are opposed to the war, and 71% of you disapprove of your President along with me. Aside from those things, and the declining US Dollar (which is no fault of mine), we actually quite like this place. As I pointed out, not two days ago, mostly you folks are pretty great people… Mostly.
http://www.roflcat.com/images/cats/270916532_830d6ef2b6.jpg
hahaha – glad to know that my ‘ignorant’ brother (because all us Canuckleheads are brothers or sisters here right?) was literate enough to say such great words. You are welcome back to our second-world nation any time Jon.
However, keep up the great work in supporting the global economy and helping others expand the American way of influence. 😉
Want to trade for the Prime Minister?
rotfl!
Well it would seem that I owe you an apology and I ask for your forgiveness. I should not have left a comment. But after reading a lot of your blog it just sounded like you really didn’t care much for America except what it could do for you. But maybe I am the ignorant one and I misunderstood. For that I am sorry. However, In the future when you refer to a poll of American opinion you might want to pick a poll that more accurately represents ALL Americans and not just 1,003 of us. Since we obviously are more populated than that….somewhere around 310 million.
I just thought I’d say that as being an American living in Canada, you can classify your job as the one that I would have if I was living in the United States and I am working in your job here in Canada, albeit my being a Canadian citizen entitles me to be employed in both countries. Interesting. LOL
In one way I do agree with A Proud American. I love your blog in general. It makes me laugh, and makes me think, it makes me angry. However, sometimes (many times) it does seem as if you’re only in the United States (I don’t like to call the U.S. “America” since last I checked, most of the western hemisphere is “America”) for what it gets you. This does however make it seem like I’m the one following the old adage that you’re not allowed to complain about something/someone unless you belong to that group. For that I too apologize. Sometimes it takes someone outside our “group” to point out what’s wrong (we can’t admit we make mistakes). You and Nic are real additions to the U.S. Keep those blogs coming!
Bill: That’s perfect! We’ll trade jobs!
Proud American: Apology accepted.
Marti and Proud American: Point taken. I’ve added a Frequently Asked Questions page to provide a little more background on our opinions, to hopefully clarify where we’re coming from.
Okay, I love this post. I was going to leave some witty remark but changed my mind after reading a proud americans apology.
Hi Jon.
I’m sitting in Singapore right now with your dad. He was showing me your website and it’s quite impressive. I’m from the USA but work with the TWR mission at their Singapore office as the IT system administrator. Your pictures of the kids are great, too. I’ve got four – 12, 9, 5, and 3.
Blessings,
– Ben
Americans are a pretty great bunch of people, and pretty tolerant of the opinions of others. Because of that I think we – other nationalities – just assume that Americans are going take our sometimes insensitive comments in stride, which for the most part they do. I refered to Ben, who I had just met, as a ‘Yank’ even though he’d just told me he was from South Carolina, clearly south of the Mason-Dixon line that divided that nation in their Civil War. We tread so lightly on things that in America’s past were absolutely horrific without thought that they may be offensive, and yet bristle when we are on the receiving end. We should be more thoughtful. Sorry, Ben!
First of all Jon, I love your post and especially what you wrote about almost every American being an immigrant. This is obviously true of Canada as well. Secondly, as a dual citizen who has lived in Canada and the U.S., I agree with your Dad that there is a general expectation that Americans (and I would add, Canadians) will take outsiders comments about their country with a certain graciousness. Goodness knows I’ve endured many harmless but ignorant comments about Canada from Americans and I have been guilty of the same thing with my American friends.
As to the issue of only being in the U.S. for what you get out of it–I am highly suspicious of this sort of comment if it implies that the commenter is not guilty of the same thing in the same way or at least in some other area of life. And besides, the U.S. is famous for being a land of opportunity–a place where each individual can make his/her dreams come true–if that’s not using the U.S. for what it can do for you, I don’t know what is. As to the issue of taking jobs from nationals–that’s a government policy issue and not your fault in the least.