to be really irritated with comments like this

[Leati]

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

Leati - there's quite a popular TV show over here that's entertainment but supposed to be about cars. Anyway, the 3 presenters went to the states and bought 3 old cars and drove them from Floria (I think) to New Oleans. On the way one of their tasks, designed as a joke from the producers, was to graffiti there cars with things that intimated the drivers were gay, thought country and western music was rubbish and that they didn't believe in God. - They were actually stoned - they really dodn't think it would be that bad.

The other shocking thing in the programme was when they reached the area devastated by Katrina, one of them said ' I don't know how America can sleep at night knowingthis is here'. I think The US is seen is a very rich country and many people here were appalled at the lack of help that region got.

right I do have to go

hate having to leave an interesting thread

The one thing I will say for Bush is that he has given so much material to create some cracking humour from - I love that there are whole websites dedicated to taking the p*ss out of 'bushisms'

over half of Americans didn't vote for Bush...we have a goofy set up that gives each state a certain amount of votes and then those states vote based off their citizens votes. So Bush won the election but the popular vote went to Al Gore.

haven't read entire thread .. have read initial comments though

and tbh I think in terms of generalisations about the European 'perception' of middle America .. its not that far off the mark

That's really cool, 1.1 billion agnostic/atheist/no faith? Had no idea we were so many!

I posted on the other thread that upset you, Leati. Basically there is a lot of distorted media coverage of Britain in the US media - and a lot of untrue/exagerated statements about the US in the British media. I can't tell you how many times I leap out of bed normally it takes me an hour to rouse myself!! ready to kick the radio in for some stupid and false statement about the USA. Or had to ask English DH to explain a newspaper article which in the end, revealed some huge ignorance and assumptions on the journalists' part about American culture. So much is seen thru a cultural prism that people aren't even aware of.

On the other hand, some of my American family still think that all English stop at 4pm each day for "high tea". [Head in hands].

One warning if you look at my website...

one cartoon makes fun of Tony Blair and Bush together

www.myspace.com/carterandleati

although I'm off out now, so will be back tonight to read thread and realise how wrong I am .. such is the nature of discussion and education

We don't have proportional representaion either Leati - or Blair wold have been out on his ear long ago!

This really has me wondering, about things that I believe about other countries.

One thing I can tell you is true....
NEVER DRINK THE WATER IN MEXICO

it really is as bad as they say

I even have Pink's Dear Mr. President as my theme song. If you haven't heard it, its really good. If you like to Bush bash no one is better than me. Have a funny bush doll that mimicks all his "bushisms"

You see here I was thinking that Blair was popular...until the last year or so

AS Al Gore said last week

Americans are good people who do the right thing, after first exhausting every available alternative

That is funny in a twisted type of way.

No, Leati - definitely not in may part of the country! I live just south of the lake distcict (think Beatrix Potter country) and here our council has no 'overall control' because the seats are split - see here. We're quite an 'alternative' community and I love it that way

I a rubbsh at writing my native language - sorry

You guys have a good mix of political parties. I believe they help balance out each others more extreme views.

Okay Ladies,

I have to go to bed, it has been an enlightening conversation. I have learned alot about perception. Anyway, I don't know if myspace is a big thing there or not but you don't have to be a member to view my page. Great stuff on there and lots of family pics, too. Maybe it will give you guys a better sense of "American Family Life." But I have to tell you that there are so many cultures in our country that it would only representing one culture.

www.myspace.com/carterandleati

Have fun chatting and I'll check up on this latter.

Funny that you start this thread complaining about a sweeping generalisation and then go and do the same about Mexico.

talking about double standards....

It's a fascinating topic because it means millions of your citizens do not believe in things like radio carbon dating despite your secular state school systems. Apparently God made mini dinosaurs so they would fit in the ark.

Author and atheist Sam Harris keeps telling a big lie. Perhaps he thinks repetition will prevent his lie from being exposed. First stated in his best selling book Letter to a Christian Nation, he repeated the lie in a December 5, 2006 Letter to the Editor of the New York Times when he stated

? Half of the American population believes that the universe is 6,000 years old.?

The evidence suggests that, at a maximum, only 18% of Americans, not 50% as Harris recklessly claims, might arguably be said to believe the universe is only 6,000 years old. And even that 18% might not completely agree with the 6,000 year figure. I just checked the figures again and even this negative piece saying the 50% thing is a lie doesn't exactly give comfort.

"Seven Gallup polls taken between 1982 and 2006 showed that between 44 and 47% of Americans agreed with the following statement:

God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so

Note that this question makes no reference to the age of other species of animals, the age of the earth, the solar system, or the universe. It refers to the creation of human beings ?in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so.? "

Now we know how old the planet is just about so that's a startling statistic. Can't they read science books? What do they think about fossils? I just find it completely weird. Could you not concentrate some of your resources at home in rooting out these in effect liars who presumably also are endemic amongst your leadership too?

Completely OT
following a thread about what we all call our DD's 'lady parts 'in which I was admonished for admitting to using 'bits', I asked 14 year old DS to contemplate the issue and come up with something better.
He suggested her
"George W"
It made me laugh and this is the only USA related thread I could find

. Well he does come across as a complete fanny.

IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo
My sweeping generalization was not about the hispanic people it was a warning about the water in Mexico. If you ever go there your travel agent will advise you, anyway.

BTW, had a friend ignore the public advisory not to drink water, year later she had to have an operation to remove tape worm...gross

You are bound to have problems in certain areas, but not all of them. Mexico is the size of half Europe, any sweeping generalization would be as unfair as saying all American are creationists.

Although to be honest I would preffer to have tape worms than a creationist bugging my ears. Thank you.

IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo
Read this article. I am not making this up or making generalizations. I live a few hours away from Mexico and have visited as far south Acapulco and many many cities in between. Drink the Tequila but don't drink the water. Bring bottled water. I have known several people to get sick. Only one to get tapeworm, though.

www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A520868