In honor ofnit nearly being Independence Day, wibu to tell you

[PratStick]

That Bleu is not a common American name?

That we do have required biology lessons. (Obviously)

Baby showers were never meant to be massive affairs with enterence fees and that I never heard of such a thing before MN. Your mate threw a party, invited your other friends, you ate brownies and were given diapers artfully formed in to a cake.

We also didn't invent "destination weddings" if we did had done, no one would go as we get far less time off than you do. It's also the reason many Americans don't have a passport, nothing to with America being too awesome to bother leaving.

Only a third of us have guns.

I was never taught creationalism in school. It is illegal to mix church and state and we I never took any form of RE. We do not have state funded religious schools. Your nearest school will be a non religious state school.

Any Americans have anything else to add?

Only a third of us have guns.

That's a massive amount. Hence the massive issue with gun crime in USA and not something that should be minimised with "only".

Oh and Halloween came from the British isles and not celebrating it because it's 'American culture taking over' when it got to America through British imperialism is hilarious

Not arguing about guns, and I will phrase it just as I like. 1/3 and 'All Americans are gun toting' isn't accurate.

The fact that vast majority don't have or want a gun is relevant.

Okaaay...

Hardly raging am I? Posters make things up and post them as fact and it's annoying. Women are allowed to be annoyed without people acting like they're crazy.

1/3 owning guns is a terrifying statistic.

More guns than people

I'm pretty sure I read there were 40 million more guns than there were people, in the USA?

Mind you it must be hard to come up with exact figures.

Do people think Bleu is a common name? Never heard of it as a first or surname?

So you didn't start a light hearted thread then? It's one for you to whine about misconceptions of America? For any particular reason? A thread that pissed you off, or just to put us in our place?

1. I don't know anyone who would think Bleu is a common American name.
2. So you did start baby showers then.
3. A third of the population is a massive number of people with guns.
4. Creationism might not be taught in schools but in comparison to the UK, the number of people who believe it still is probably proportionately staggering.
5. I've never seen anyone claim that America invented Halloween. I've seen plenty of people saying that 'trick or treating' is an American thing. It is.

I can't get past the guns.
But have a happy holiday.

There are more guns, unfortunately all those guns belong to a minority of people who really like guns.

Once again, no inebriated thinks 1/3 is a great number but it's certainly not all Americans.

I might as well say all of England voted for Brexit.

Stupid comparison

I like baby showers.

I am still terrified of what's happening in a lot of the US. The state of women's rights, the extent of racism, the homophobia in some areas, and the utterly terrifying system of US prisons, are all things the US should be deeply ashamed about.

But then, I have a lot of American friends, and a lot of friends who are not American but live and work there, and I think these are pretty widespread views in America too!

I can see where you're coming from, OP, feeling that Americans get some unfair flack, but to me, blurring together minor social stuff like weddings and baby showers with gun control issues just feels odd.

That is a huge and terrifying amount of guns to be called 'only'

Fuck yeah!

But how big is your largest Big Mac meal?

I've actually never heard of the name 'Bleu' before. Is it very popular?

Also, I don't think I've heard anyone say all Americans own guns?

Is it just Mumsnet you're seeing this on, OP?

How can you use the word 'only' when somany children die as a result of being shot?

That is without the mass execution by your Police of innocent people that they happen to stop etc.

I'm nearly 50, we carved Turnips, not Pumkins,yes we celebrated Halloween but not to the extent that we do today. It's come from businesses that want to sell us stuff, granted, but a lot of it has been transported here.

""That we do have required biology lessons. (Obviously)""

Having to be married before sex and denying reproductive rights have nothing to do with biology It is as though you are denying that religion has a big influence on State policies. Your President uses Religion to demonise large sections of the World.

only a third of us have guns
That's fine then now you've enlightened all us incredibly thick Brits. That'll make it OK the next time one of them guns down a classroom of five year olds.

I can see where you're coming from, OP, feeling that Americans get some unfair flack, but to me, blurring together minor social stuff like weddings and baby showers with gun control issues just feels odd

It might be odd, but they're all a group in the sense they're things that are regularly bandied about on MN iyswim.

1/3 people owning at least one firearm is fucking terrifying and really not something to be minimised.

But how big is your largest Big Mac meal?
I'm a vegetarian, it does happen 😀

our fast food is bigger and stranger than yours I admit

""I've actually never heard of the name 'Bleu' before. Is it very popular?""

Beyonce's eldest Daughter is called Ivy Bleu. Her and her Husband are two of the most very successful American citizens, but unfortunalty they are the wrong colour.

That will get jumed on, but just look at the way Michelle Obama was attacked, to the point of being called a gorilla in heels, by a Mayor and Church leaders.