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*Note: found this while editing the blog layout. Decided to post along with most other unfinished posts in the hopes of having a) some new content, and b) a more complete blog of my year*
I read this article in the New York Times on Thursday and was shocked, and a bit angry. Then, on Friday morning I read the same article in the De Morgen at breakfast and I understood. I understood where stereotypes of the US come from, why Europeans think we're all gun-crazy, enemy-killing idiots, and most of all, the lack of understanding that we as citizens have of where our image comes from.
I found this recently. I still think I had a point:
My Facebook news feed reports all things important, namely who’s in a relationship with who, who has posted new photos of their latest adventure, and who is attending Bush’s Last Day in Office (at the time of writing, it is 10.15 Central European Time on said day). Of those friends celebrating the end of an eight-year era and the inauguration of President Barrack Obama, more than half do not live in the United States, are not US citizens and most have never set foot on American soil. They hail from Belgium, Brazil, Venezuela, Turkey, New Zealand and China, and while they may not fully understand Obama’s speeches or policies, one thing is certain: this election has affected the whole world. Despite our low popularity ratings around the world, the United States is still undoubtedly a “superpower” and our decisions (namely those of this election season) affect everyone. We are being watched, critiqued and supported as we swear in a new government and continue to grapple with an economic crisis, the issue of gay rights and the consequences of our overactive military and underactive diplomatic policies. This is our chance to reshape the world’s view of the United States, now is that time. Much of the news media in Europe is focused on the fact that our President Elect is of African descent and that the United States has seemingly grown out of its racist attitudes. This bothers me. Such media coverage only shows the undercurrent of racism that remains, and a seemingly “holier than thou” sentiment that runs through Europe. Ideally, the President’s skin color should be a non-issue. He or she should be celebrated for his/her policies, accomplishments and plans for the future. And I think we’re getting there. We seem to be in sight of a place where politics and current events are discussed in politics while the triumphant underdog stories are left to Hollywood. Now we need to show that to the world. For me, the election brings in a government whose ideals are closer to my own, whose manner of accomplishing mirrors my own and whose focus in this game of politics seems to be about the issues. The same issues that will directly affect me and my fellow citizens. This election signifies a change, a chance for our country to get out of the rut into which we have fallen and once again grow and unite and invent and solve- the very actions that placed us on the political maps of atlases worldwide. And I think we can do it. I am hopeful that regardless of one’s political, cultural or economic background, the residents of the United States of America will be able to embrace this atmosphere of change and reevaluate their own lives and actions. My challenge to you: figure out what it is that this change of government means to you. For some it signifies the end of a presidency they supported, for some it is a tangible symbol of how far our country has come in its tearing down of the social and cultural caste systems, and for others it is a new beginning and a chance to make the United States of America a country that they are proud to be a part of.
*Note: found this while editing the blog layout. Decided to post along with most other unfinished posts in the hopes of having a) some new content, and b) a more complete blog of my year*
College applications take up your life. Actually, they just ensure that you have no life for that one two-week period just before they're due and leave you tired of yourself, your achievements and writing in general. And who would have guessed that Wellesley needed my school reports translated into English, and that my English teacher would give me a 6 page description of the history of Sint-Bavohumaniora, in which the transformation from textile factory to Catholic girls boarding school is described in great detail? And thus began my hiatus from my journal, both online and on paper. I'm regretting it now, because I know it's going to be a bear to try and catch up, but it will be so worthwhile thirty years from now. So now, armed with a blanket, my Nalgene, Voltaire and Bob Dylan, I am going to conquer this writer's block, and at least get something out into cyberspace.
In Dutch, we're starting a unit on language, more specifically the psychology associated with language and the manner that we, as children, learn our mother tongue. One of the theories we've looked at is that of the language acquisition device, one popularized by the American linguist Noam Chomsky.
