"Socialism Light" and other not-so-amusing things

"In response to Steve Sebelius' March 27 column, in which he argues Obamacare is not socialistic: Maybe Mr. Sebelius is correct, but it is very European - which is 'Socialism Light.'"  


With comments like these from folks who write letters to the editor in the local "news"paper, I can now say definitively that I am healed from ever feeling the need to join their ranks again.   Mark Twain is quoted to have said that "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."   Have I mentioned how noisy Americans, in general, are when compared to most Norwegians?


I will begin with a HUGE apology to all of the sane Americans I know, and even those I don't know, before continuing with my observations made by sweeping generalizations of America.  I understand that we are a huge country, with a seemingly infinite diversity, so to those of you who read this and truly feel that my comments don't apply to you - well then, they probably don't.  


What a week it has been!  An elderly friend from the dog park was on her way to the hairdresser the other morning when her car was broadsided in an intersection by a 21 year old, busy running a red light.  Actually, according to the paper, her car collided with the truck.  "The police said Portello's truck ran a red light."  Even traffic accidents are described as though people weren't responsible...just their cars are at fault.  She died at the hospital later that morning.  This was the 37th traffic fatality in the Las Vegas valley so far this year (that's appx. 2.8 deaths per week).  Yesterday's running over of yet another pedestrian, (ok - the American says- she deserves it because she wasn't in a crosswalk) brought the number to 38.  I'm immediately remembering my last post about "trust", and applied here, we are to trust that should you ever find the need to cross a street, in or out of a crosswalk, you are taking your life for granted.  And you can trust that if you get hit outside a crosswalk, for any reason, there will be no empathy coming your way.  Social Darwinism, you ninny!  We, as Americans, just refuse to evolve into empathetic creatures, however.


Yesterday's topic on "State of Nevada", a local call-in panel radio broadcast was all about the "Stand Your Ground" law...meaning that it is your legal right not only to carry around a registered gun when you go out and about, but you are no longer required to retreat if you feel threatened.  "If you feel threatened...".  Well, cool, I guess.  Now I know how to handle myself next time I'm in a crosswalk here and that motorist doesn't look like he's slowing down....I'll just get all American on his ass, whip out my gun, and shoot, cuz I felt threatened....That's basically what the man up in Summerlin did to the kid who was in his back yard.  The man felt threatened by the presence of a teen in his yard, pulled out his gun, and shot...and killed him.  In Bergen, this would be an interesting scenario since I could count the number of fences enclosing people's yards on one hand.  "....[H]ome of the brave?"  Then why does someone feel threatened?


Ok.  I get it.  This is life in the city.  In a particularly strange city, so I should not make sweeping generalizations.  But there  is a common underlying thread I have felt since being back here:  Americans don't trust.  Americans fear.  And Americans do not think that they fear.  Like the bully on the schoolground,  our fear is masked by bravado, guns, and self-righteousness.  I get that this may not necessarily be the case in small towns, because I used to live in them.  I get that America is a country of such ethnic diversity that a sense of trust through cultural unity can be difficult.  


But if we cannot trust each other for these reasons, we need to find other reasons to trust one another.  The problem now, as I see it,  is that there really is not a common America for all.  And I think that this is partially because of our culture of individualism and bootstraps, filtered down into us via Horatio Alger, and glorified by lucky millionaires who yes, got there by hard work, but can't seem to understand that they indeed were privileged from the get-go by having access to education, a roof over their heads, people looking after them when they were children, access to health care via their parents, food in their stomachs....you know....."socialism light".....