more money than sense

my mother and i were talking about the hot-button topic of immigration today- and i was struck by something that hit me like a bolt out of the blue (and probably shouldn't have): america does not play nice with others. while that may seem obvious on a global and political level, i started thinking about the personal lives of the average joes. i wondered when it was that we lost manners, respect, common courtesy and the like for strangers and i began to wonder if we ever had it in the first place.

now, in all fairness, the second folks to settle america were british- and we got our value system from them. after a generation or so, it was apparent that it was us- americans- that were behaving badly- towards indians, french, english, dutch, africans- you name it. i think what strikes me today is that so-called 'good' people don't realize (or apparently don't care) that they are behaving in a boorish fashion. take for example, the recent flak over business owners in bigger cities- new york city was in the news- putting signs up at their establishments warning parents to make their children behave or don't come. well, the mommie brigade was all up in arms about it and decided to boycott the establishments. i say- good- the other patrons thank you. my other big peeve is at the local grocery store when people take up the entire aisle to chat with a friend and won't move even when i say- excuse me- or the customer who decides that they need to look at the peas at the same time you are and pushes you out of the way.

nostalgia dictates a time when people were civil and society was polite. i say that there has always been two americas- the facade and the real underbelly- where people are mean and selfish and corrupt and cruel. at the very least, we used to get along with each other and maintain some civility on the surface. it just seems that people, young people especially, feel entitled to disregard the rights and feelings of others- and i can't help but wonder- what are americans teaching their children- if they are teaching them at all. i own an apartment building with 3 floors and live in the middle- so i rent to a variety of people. i have lived in said building for 10 years and it has only been recently that i have had a problem with discourteous tenants. my perplexity comes from the fact that 1) i live below and above you- maybe making noise at 3:00am isn't the best idea and 2) the street i live on is dead quiet all year round. you would think that these tenants would pick up on that fact and behave appropriatly- or better yet not rent here if they want to be loud. i cannot fathom the mentality that just doesn't care enough about the other people in their very immediate vicinity (the buildings are very close together) that they don't feel uncomfortable arguing with their significant other and using profanity.

so, the mexican folks have the right idea- don't become americans. maintain your own identity and use the country for your own ends. chances are most americans would not even notice- they obviously are busy exploiting you and busy being rude.