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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be really irritated with comments like this

195 replies

Leati · 14/07/2007 06:52

The other day I started a thread about gun policy in the US. I am from the US but agree with alot of you ladies about the US gun policy being to relaxes. One of the ladies suggested that we should change the law. I tried to explain that the law was protected by the United States constitution and therefor it was not very easy to change. Then someone who had not been part of conversation up until that point get on and starts writing outragously insulting comments

Copied from comments of previous

Of course the Americans want guns. They are a huge country with lots of space, animals, wilderness much much less sophisticated and indeed behind the times than the UK and most of Europe with their history of cow boys and some very simple people living there. Obviously they therefore hang on to their guns. Our police can police the 60m people here in the UK without guns on the whole and as there are few guns to be had we have fewer deaths and murders. This is one reason most of us choose to stay in the UK rather than move to the US.

and then the user writes this

Americans are often simple people a bit behind Europe, of course they are. You'll catch up eventually but you even have the death penalty. You and China... we despair over here and so many believing the planet is 6000 years old only. It's a kind of simpleness which in some ways is quite sweet but you've a long way to go to be in the same advanced mindset of most Europeans.

I just have to ask...where does she come up with this crap

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KerryMumbledore · 15/07/2007 23:01

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KerryMumbledore · 15/07/2007 23:01

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Acinonyx · 15/07/2007 23:00

I hear you Isabel. A Christian fundamentalist superpower fighting a 'war on terror' against Islamic extemists. It makes the Cold War look like the good old days. Jill

IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo · 15/07/2007 20:57

Acinonyx, I'm fearing a Christian fundamentalism in the brewing, which I fear even more due to the political system of the US and their military power.

Quattrocento · 15/07/2007 17:41

Leati - I have not read the whole thread but I have spent quite a lot of time in the US.

Attitudes to guns in the US are totally and (to a British citizen) quite frighteningly different. There is FAR less gun crime in the UK. These are matters of fact.

I am sorry you were offended by the poster but I have some sympathy as I never cease being shocked by US attitudes to guns and gun crime.

Acinonyx · 15/07/2007 17:36

I am married to an American and 90% of my ILs believe in the literal truth of the bible, that the Earth is around 6000 yrs old and that fossils were put here to test our faith. We have heard this ourselves - dh, frequently.

I am an evolutionary anthroplogist and when US acedemics come over to lecture they usually make it a point of honour to begin with comments on how difficult the situation in the US is for them and how they are unable to speak freely.

I really don't know how any American could be unaware of this trend in such a large proportion of thier popuation. Now that astonishes me. It is very alarming given the association of other very conservative views with these believes. Jill

Original poster
Leati · 15/07/2007 11:58

Goon-nite good bye and good talking

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Original poster
Leati · 15/07/2007 11:47

I am pretty sure Mexico's water problems have more to do with filtering and cleaning. In Hawaii I always drink the water and it is tropical too.

Anyway, I have another thread...funny funny funny,

tons of jokes in the other section

check it out

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IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo · 15/07/2007 11:42

Perhaps I'm extremely lucky, I have only drinked bottled water when I'm out or about, in any other country I have lived and stayed I drink the water the locals do. Although I tend to check the sources just in case.

IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo · 15/07/2007 11:39

Water problems in MExico are related to the subtropical areas for obvious reasons, but half of Mexico is not tropical. That's why I'm saying that the water problem is not a general one.

Now, if you go to Rome, every tour operator is going to tell you repeatedly to keep your hand in your wallet, while many romans would know that that is not necesarily needed. Although as a foreigner you may be bound to face some teething problems while you get used to the locality, be it about the wallets or the water.

KerryMumbledore · 15/07/2007 11:39

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KerryMumbledore · 15/07/2007 11:38

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IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo · 15/07/2007 11:35

Is not a fact, and... I have drink water even in India and so far... I'm fine

JemimaPip · 15/07/2007 11:35

Isabel, I agree with you entirely about the use of the words never and always as applied to groups of people - generalisations inevitably fall apart at the level of the individual. In this instance Leati wasn't referring to people at all but to a water supply!

Original poster
Leati · 15/07/2007 11:35

I agree always and never are not word that should be directed at large groups of people. But I was not talking about people, I was talking about drinking water that is notorious for making people sick. If you take a cruise to Mexico, the cruise director is going to tell you, "dont drink the water, bring bottled water from the ship." If you book a weekend there, your travel agents going to tell you, "dont drink the water."

However, if you are fortunate to find a good hotel (i have a timeshare) they provide sealed water bottles for you.

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IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo · 15/07/2007 11:34

Kerry, you can not imagine how bad it could get. I remember seeing a case when an American factory build a park for the local children using toxic waste (beautiful it looked being bright white) as a ground covering. The idea was to avoid returning that waste to the US as required by Mexican laws.

Regarding the guns law... you have no idea how bad things have become in Mexico since the changes were introduced.

KerryMumbledore · 15/07/2007 11:33

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teafortwoandtwofortea · 15/07/2007 11:33

Just to back Leati up a bit, The advice regarding drinking tap water she has given is spot on - this is the advice our foreign office give:

"We strongly recommend you should drink bottled (not tap) water. Ice is frequently made from tap water. Food and unbottled drinks sold by street vendors are also likely to be unsafe."

Original poster
Leati · 15/07/2007 11:32

I will not revoke the Mexico statement. Go to the link I provided for you...it is a BBC link not American. Tap water in Mexico is full of life and not the good kind. Stick with the Tequila

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IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo · 15/07/2007 11:31

Now I see... thanks TMMJ.

I still insist that the words "always" and "never" are bound to be unfair when applied to large groups.

Original poster
Leati · 15/07/2007 11:29

KerryMumbledore

I agree with you one-hundred percent. There is no need for any private individual to have such a gun. Seriously, I grew up in some rough neighborhoods and had gangs scatter thier bullets everywhere in just a few seconds. I also have reservations about other types of guns too. But the NRA is a powerful organization and they put money into politician pockets.

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filchthemildmanneredjanitor · 15/07/2007 11:28

no isabel-that's not what she means.

she started this thread in response to another thread saying that all americans were simple.

you then came on and said ' you're just as bad for saying don't drink the water in mexico'

that is where leati is making the comparison.

IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo · 15/07/2007 11:26

But Leati... by saying "I am seriously mortified if you don't understand the difference between calling an entire nation of people simple and saying, "never drink the water in Mexico."

I never said you called an entire nation simple... is your subconcious playing games on your perceptions of my posts?

However, there is a crass generalisation on saying "never drink the water in Mexico."

Original poster
Leati · 15/07/2007 11:26

IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo

I agree with you that the Media has a way of swaying public opinion. GW Bush used the media to strike fear into Americans during his second election. Many American bought the garbage he said about Iraq having "weapons of mass destruction" and protecting terrorist. I can honestly say, I wrote all my senators asked them to give diplomacy a chance and to let the UN inspectors do thier job. Apparently, I wasn't convincing enough.

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KerryMumbledore · 15/07/2007 11:25

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