When did it become so wrong to to be called American?

I know I’m a little late to this rodeo, but I’m going to vent anyway because it just irks me whenever I hear it. 

I am so tired of all the people that need to let you know their ethnic background when they announce what kind an American they think they are.  “I’m an Italian American” or “I’m an Irish American”.   Or a Dutch American or a Polish American.  Same goes for those people that want to include all of the places their parents, grandparents or great grandparents were from when they start telling you about themselves.  I don’t know why they have this crazy need to give you all of the countries those 6  were from to let you know they live in Tennessee, but they do.  “I’m a Dutch Canadian, Venezuelan, Australian, American with a little bit of Sioux Indian mixed in.  Yeah, I know I’ve been here in Chattanooga all my life, but my relatives are were from all around.”    Moron.    Listen tool bag, if you were born here that makes you an American citizen – there is no need to be anything else.  I don’t care where your moms parents were from and I couldn’t give two hoots about where your Dads family may have made millions raising Rahmani sheep.   If you were born here or passed a test to become a naturalized citizen, then you are an American you jack wagon, plain and simple. 

Why do people do that?  Why mention their ethnicity in the title of what they are? I get being proud of who you are and where you might be from, but if you grew up in Cleveland, there is no way in hell you were ever an African American regardless of the color of your skin. So why do you adopt the title?  To belong? To identify? Whats wrong with just being an American?

And for those that came to this country and took that pledge to become a citizen, that Oath of Allegiance, you declared to “entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen”.  In other words, you promised to become an American which by doing so, relinquishes all loyalty to your previous country of citizenship.  So guess what Esse, you’re not a Hispanic American, or a Canadian American.   You’re not an Asian American or even a Scottish American.  So drop the pretense and get over yourself. 

Listen, you came to this country because you felt for some reason or another it could benefit you or your family.  Can’t you at least be respectful to the land and people that are giving you the opportunity to better yourself?   If you like your home country so much you feel the need to go around flying your native colors rather than Old Glory, and all you want to do is talk about is how much better it was from whence you came, then do us all a favor and go home.  This American doesn’t need you.

And Bingo was his name ..o

Dog people are different people.  Before you go all nuts, understand I love dogs; it’s the owners with which I have a problem.  Personally I feel there are a large percentage of dog owners that get them for all the wrong reasons.  It’s like they are missing something in their lives, or have this need to have power over…something.  Worse than that is they tend to lose perspective on what is really important.  Let me explain…

  

First things first.  This is a dog we are talking about. Yes its man’s best friend and probably the most loyal pet you’ll ever have, but at the end of a day, it’s still just a pet.  It loves you because you feed it and give it shelter. If it could do it better than you, it would. It only hangs around because we have domesticated them so much, they know nothing else.  What else is it going to do? 

Most importantly, as much as you might want it to be, it is NOT a human child.  Its life is not worth more than a human life.  We all might sit here and shake our heads saying “yeah, I know” but if we really understand its just a pet,  then explain this type of post on Facebook. 

“I can't watch this video.  Honest to God, I can watch a video of a person lying in the road after being hit by a car, but not a dog. If you're not a dog lover, you won't get it.”

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/16/loyal-dog-braves-highway-to-remain-by-fatally-struck-friend-side/

  

I admit, it’s a heart breaking story for sure.  And it’s a tragedy that a dog died, but let’s put things in perspective, shall we?  You’d rather see a human, presumably dead in the street, than a dog? Seriously? One could argue that we’ve been desensitized to human death through movies and TV and that’s why it affects us so badly to see a pet injured, but unless you are as dumb as that dog, it doesn’t excuse you from not thinking twice about actually posting colossally stupid and inane comments that show how warped and twisted your priorities really are.  Saying you’d more easily watch a human get hit by a car not only devalues anyone's loss of a relative/friend/partner/,  but it also shows to all of us that you value that animals life over you own wife, daughter or son,  or father, or mother or sister etc…  and that makes me sick.  Is that what you meant?  Because that’s the message you sent

Oh and by the way, I don’t need to be a dog owner to “get it”.  As a human, I completely understand how it feels to lose someone I love. But its not someone who died here, was it?  It was someTHING, and as much as that mystifies you, it’s you that doesn’t get it.  If you feel more over the loss of your dog than you do a family member or friend, then that is truly a problem with you.  You shouldn’t be the owner of anything.

If you want to talk about something I don't get, lets take this example. If you really care about your dog, why do you let them crawl all over you when you’re driving your car? You think that enhances their driving experience, or yours? (Attention selfish jerk, the dog doesn’t care which seat it occupies).

Yayyy Rhode Island!!

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-dog-on-lap-20120409,0,388641.story

You say you care about your dog, but you don't stop to think what could happen to them if you were to get into an accident?  Seems contradictory to me. If your pet is really one of the family, why do you treat it so differently?  Get a pet seat belt/harness.   We already know you don’t care about the lives of anyone around you (or else you would keep them off your lap for such an important activity such as driving) so do it for the damn animal, you jackass.

 

I loathe the folk that have dogs yet want to be so nice, they refuse to “be mean” to them.  I have some neighbors like that.  In reality, a lot of owners have no clue or desire to discipline their dogs. They allow them to jump all around; bark incessantly and pretty much run their lives, in the meantime making everyone else around them miserable.  They actually think it makes the lives of their pet better when it gets to live free of rules or regulations.  Don’t get me wrong, verbal abuse of any animal is not tolerated, but disciplining your dog is not punishing your dog, and giving your pet boundaries will actually make it a happier pet in the end. Heck, if the pet owners from the first video actually disciplined their dogs, you may not have a dead animal in the street.  

Admittedly, it’s mostly the people with the small dogs that are so careless.  I’ve got a neighbor that didn’t think one annoying yapping dog was enough, so she got two more. They had to relegate the old dog to the lower part of the deck do the new ones could occupy the top. Do you think she has any clue how noisy they are?  Doubtful. How could she? She keeps them outside most of the day because shes home. She probably thinks they never make a sound.  Funny thing is I have another neighbor with two 100+lbs Pitbulls, and I never hear those dogs at all. Get out there and find out what those dogs need, lady. They are obviously upset about something, and you don’t seem to care. 

How about the double standards we create for dog owners?  Try bringing your pet horse into a supermarket; see what happens. Board of Health would have a problem with that for sure. But why then do I see all these arrogant dog owners doing it all the time with these goofy little dogs in their purses?  Because of their size?   Listen, if your fragile self esteem can’t make it the duration of a trip to the market without being reminded of how much your pet loves you, then maybe you ought to be getting groceries delivered to your home.  Animals do not belong in the supermarket unless they are in the meat section all wrapped and ready for grilling.

 Ever try bringing a pet pig on a plane ride?  It won’t go over well. (I don’t suggest it). However, if you dress it up like a dog, you might both make it by. Most airlines actually allow “pet “travel directly in the cabin. (with limitations, usually weight/size)  They must screen out passengers with pet allergies at the security gate, don’t you think?  That the real reason the TSA lines are so long.

 Seriously, when there is an airline that is specifically for pets, do they really need to continue this practice?

http://www.petairways.com/

 

Lastly, what aggravates me the most about dog owners are the ones that have so much extra money floating around they don’t know what to do with it, so they send their pooch to a dog "hotel" for things like: 

• Aromatherapy baths
• Aromatherapy massage
• Fur coloring
• Facials
• Swim sessions
• Underwater treadmill sessions

I cant make this stuff up - http://www.poochhotel.com/ 


Get this –  The “Palace Suite” is 12x10 or 20x15 and it’s a “quiet, private luxe room equipped with a flat panel TV, web camera, and exquisite raised bedding. “  Yeah, because we all know how Buster loves to watch The Price is Right, don’t we?
  

Something tells me that if you have this kind of money to spend on your pet, then maybe you ought to be thinking about donating more to a human charity, like the homeless or hungry children? But no this place exists because someone thought there was a need, and owners agreed.  Sadly there are people willing to spend $100 a night for their dog to stay in this type of hotel.  Here’s my take, If you need someone to give your dog underwater treadmill lessons, then maybe you don’t spend enough time with your dog. 

Listen people, I love dogs, but I’m not so selfish to use them just to fill a hole in my life. I value their role in our lives and I know they can do incredible things.  But they are not substitutes for children, lost relatives, or siblings or even real live friends.  They dont belong in baby carriages and dont need to be dressed up in the clothes your youngest used to wear to football rallies. They dont think like you or I do, and they dont process information the way you think is the cutest. They dont have long distant memories of their brothers and sisters, or yearn for their mommy as they grow older.  They are animals and it’s not wrong to treat them that way.   If you read this and got all ticked off screaming about how way off base you think I am, you’re obviously too blinded by your emotions  and  you should think twice about owning anything.  You may contend I’m mean and unconscionable saying all of this, but I’m betting  I’m a better pet owner than you. 

Face It, Perception Really Is Reality When It Comes to Making an Impression

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061124136



So even though the morons quoted in that article apparently have no idea what the “Stand Your Ground” law is about, (like a lot of people sadly) they protest anyway saying they should be able to wear whatever they like without people judging them. It has absolutely nothing to do with the bill being proposed, but since it’s been brought it up, let’s talk about dress codes.

I figured out a long time ago that if I ever walked around the southern US in a white robe and cone hat that only allowed me to see out of two eye cutouts, it would get me in pretty hot water. I also knew pretty early that if I walked into a bank with a ski mask on, regardless of how cold it might have been outside, it too was going to get me in hot water. Would I have been stupid to do any of that? Of course I would’ve. Just as it would be stupid for me to go on a professional office job interview wearing shorts and flip-flops, or attending a funeral in pajamas and a baseball hat, or wearing a red swastika band ANYWHERE, or walking into Blood territory wearing Crip colors, it would be stupid of me to assume that no one would judge me based on how I appeared to them.

The truth is even if the people you are making an impression on wanted to keep an open mind, they couldn’t. Sizing someone up from their appearance is a subconscious behavior we can do little about. Sure we can alter the impression as we get to know the person, but what if you never get the chance to speak to any of them? Can’t change that impression now, can ya? Like it or not, what you wear tells the world something about who you are, and it ain’t always good.

As it has been for decades, the attitude is that “no one should care what I’m wearing” or “they should get to know me before they judge me on the way I look” and in a perfect world, you’d be right. Heck, I’m the poster child for this movement. If I can’t go to dinner in workbooks and jeans, it’s pretty safe to say I won’t be going to dinner, so I totally get being comfortable. But I also get that if I start wearing a lot of piercings, gold teeth, pants down around my thighs and sweatshirts 6 sizes too big, I’m going to be treated much differently than I do now. And rightfully so. Why? Because I just described to you what 99% of the people showing up on the news for murder, rape, prostitution, drug dealing and armed robbery are wearing. Like it or not, news sources (TV, Newspapers etc) are one of the places a lot of folk look to see what’s going on in the world. Since we pretty much see only the dregs of society getting arrested in their oversize urban street clothes, we tend to associate those clothes with people of that type. You don’t really see a lot of drug dealers, rapists and murderers getting arrested in 3 piece Armani suits and Gucci loafers, do ya? (Except for OJ) If that were the case, there would be a lot of people on Wall Street getting harassed by cops, now wouldn’t there?

All of that said, it still amazes me how many people will continue to allow their clothes do the talking for them. I see it in the courts, I see it in places of worship, I see it in professional business atmospheres as well as the local Dunkin Donuts. Apparently people don’t understand what covers 90% of our bodies says more about us then anything we could say. They also don’t seem to get that clothes make the biggest impact on a person’s initial impression of who we are. If as readers you don’t think so, let me let me ask you this; How many times have you looked at 6’4” ponytail wearing, goatee and scraggly bearded biker guy dressed in all Harley Davidson gear and assumed he wasn’t a Nuclear Physicist? Yeah…that’s what I thought. Most people won’t even approach that guy because their perception of what he might be like. Why is that? Why do we have that perception? Because we’ve allowed the media, movies/TV and even our own experiences with someone that looked similar influence us, that's why. And that is how that a perception becomes reality.

All is not lost however. Since we are only talking about clothes and not some deeply rooted belief or a change to your ethical, religious or moral code, doesn’t it stand to reason it would be the easiest thing to change for us to alter the perception people have of us? So instead of looking the part of a drug dealer or corner whore, take out the piercings, buy some clothes that actually fit and take off the stupid straight brimmed hat so people can actually see your eyes and I guarantee you’ll see people warm up to you faster. (at least they wont cross the street when they see you coming the other way.)

You have one chance to make an impression and you don’t have long to make it. So if you choose to look like the thugs we all see on TV, don’t complain when you get treated like one. And if you really insist on wearing those sweatpant shorts that say Juicy across the butt to your Graduation, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the job offers to start rolling in.

Give yourself every chance to succeed and you just might.

Sensitivity Training

¹sen·si·tive

adj \ˈsen(t)-sə-tiv, ˈsen(t)s-təv\

Definition of SENSITIVE = : highly responsive or susceptible: as a (1) : easily hurt or damaged; especially : easily hurt emotionally

 

So apparently Justin Moore and Miranda Lambert are upset with Ashton Kutcher for “making a mockery” of country music when he attended the Academy of Country Music awards ceremony the other day. (I know, I don’t care either, but I’m trying to make a point…bear with me) 

http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2012/04/justin-moore-ashton-kutchers-acm-performance-was-a-mockery.html

Kutcher and his 2 stage mates were dressed up in some old fashioned country garb I’m not sure any cowboy ever wore, (except for Big and Little Enos from Smokey and the Bandit)

 

and he tried to sing some George Strait song. (Poorly I might add).  Moore and Lambert were “tweeting” (like that’s a valid news feed) their feelings about him when Moore had this to say:

"Seen Ashton Kutcher at the ACMs tonight. What a douche! I don't care for people making a mockery of the way country artists dress."

Earth to Justin. This is Ashton Freaking Kutcher we’re talking about.  You know, the Punk’d guy?  The “Dude, Where’s My Car?”  genius?  Kelso?  Cmon Mr. Moore, "douche" is actually his middle name! Who are you trying to kid??  Did you really think he would show up in a tux and just prance about at your precious awards show without cracking a joke? You asked him to be who he is, and that's exactly what he did.   Seriously, lighten up.  

On the heels of that stupid story, now I hear Burger King is pulling its ad with Mary J Blige singing about some crispy chicken wraps because it was deemed racist.  (by who I don’t really know, but I’m guessing its by some corporate Wendy or McDonalds type looking to Torpedo anything BK does)

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/burger-king-feels-the-heat-over-racist-mary-j-blige-ad/story-e6frfmqi-1226319486530

Racist?  Really?  Because a black woman singing about fried chicken has nothing to do with slavery, racial riots, lynchings or segregation, does it? That stuff is racism. Is there really someone out there that feels this video is as bad as any of the stuff that happened to blacks in the era of say, the Civil War? I doubt anyone would think so, yet here they are using the same term to define a black woman singing about fried chicken as they would about a lynching in the Mississippi woods. Not only is this ad NOT racist, it’s not even mildly offensive. It’s about chicken for crying out loud, so get over it.  If this commercial were truly offensive, wouldn’t you think Mary J would be the first one to stand up and say so? Undoubtedly there are several other black folk working on this commercial for BK too. Does their opinion that the ad is NOT racist, count for anything?

I watched that video about 15 times now and not once did I ever see or hear anything prejudice being said or done.  Of course in typical fashion however, Burger King is backpedaling saying the ad was unfinished and has consequently pulled off of YouTube, claiming some licensing agreements “hadn’t been met”.  (Because corporate America has no backbone)  I don’t know about you, but in my professional career, whenever I post anything public on behalf of my company ANYWHERE, it goes through a rigorous and intense review process by a number of different people.   That’s done to ensure all the Ts were crossed, and i’s dotted. And if any licensing were involved, it became an even more stringent process, taking nearly twice as long to complete because of the lawyers involved. So we’re supposed to believe a that Burger King, 4 BILLION dollar company, just happened to let this video slip past its posting board AND its licensing/legal department and found it way on YouTube unfinished???    Yeah, umm..ok.    Good thing you cleared that up BK. For a minute there I was sure you took it down for fear of actually offending someone. (psssstt…..you know taking it down only lends credibility to the stupid claim its racist, don’t ya? Why else would you remove it?)  

Here’s the thing.   If we the people, we the media, and we the corporations, keep this up – this being so hypersensitive to every minute detail, every breath and every utterance of syllables – we will not only lose our ability to use context to help define situations and sub meanings, but we will create riffs between everyone so deep and so wide, we will never  be able to bridge the gap.  (I’ve already told myself I’m no longer talking to Justin Moore, so I can feel it starting already)  At some point, this has to stop. 

Perhaps we can start with the media.  If the media could actually employ some judgment when they decide what they report on, skip the bias and political party pandering, maybe they wouldn’t feed the same fire of intolerance, contempt and resentment we are trying to combat. Hows that for an idea?

Perhaps we can go move on over to the corporations.  If they actually stood up for what they believed to be true and stop bowing down at the threat of someone being offended, then maybe it would stop those morally reprehensible people from trying to make a name for themselves on some stupid claim of a jingle condemning who they are. 

But as it always does, it really comes down to people.  People need to want to change in order for it to happen.  It’s taken a lot of years to get to where we are with race in this country and it’s not perfect, but I like to think we make strides every day toward equality.  If we don't stop crying wolf over issues like this, what’s going to happen when an issue arises with which we really need to deal?

I’ll leave you with some advice. (I use the term loosely) If you are going to be upset about what Ashton Kutcher is wearing, keep your stupid thoughts to yourself. You represent the entire country music industry when you make public postings like that (Twitter is public people!) and I’m willing to bet none of them really want Justin Moore being their mouthpiece.  Also, if you are going to start using the word racist to define everything you personally may not like, or find even mildly offensive, then you need to take a look at who you are as a person.  You’ve got some serious self esteem and confidence issues if your thin skin allows a dumb commercial to define who you are. In either case, stop taking yourself so seriously and do what you can to improve the situation instead of complaining about it.