the biggest american stereotype is this:
yes there ARE Americans like that. people call us stupid, fat, lazy, and obsessed with guns. yes, there are people like that, unfortunately.
but there are the truly good souls. people who do try. and in a nutshell, its called the working class. people that work for their living AND have taxes taken, money from them, used to foot the bill of the people who don't/can't care for themselves. no, im not calling out everyone on disability and such. some people truly need the aid, that truly cannot work for a valid reason. then there are the people i usually call 'leeches' that will not get off their afts and work. they just ride on Social Security and foodstamps, having kids and playing the lottery (i saw this when i worked at a gas station. one woman, pregnant and on foodstamps, bought cigarettes and proceeded to get $30 of lotto. this is in only one visit, she came multiple times over when i worked) while working people have hardly any time for families. my one aunt is a leech. i dont mind the money from my taxes paying for, say, a retired military wo/man and their family, or someone that was permanently disabled after, say, having a drunk get them into a crash. but i dont like my money go towards paying people that sit back, drink, have 3-4 kids and play the lottery. and that mostly is where it goes.
then there is media pressure. ill use myself as example. i am almost 19, ~30 pounds overweight, wears real glasses, problematic pimples, scarred from picking habit, artistic, and virgin. media would depict me as the last person you would want to frag because i am overweight, very emotional due to my being creative (generally a person that cries at anything), that i dont have a perfect face/hair, and wouldnt know what the heck an orgasm is because ive never had sex with another person. in truth, i have a hard time crying. but when i do, then something is really, really wrong. and to this day, i cannot get myself to say 'i like the body im in' or think of myself as beautiful or even fair because media has warped my views on myself. i sometimes think 'i guess im not bad looking...' but a look at my stretch marks breaks it like a hammer to glass. and for the sex part? well i have two toys, thinking of upgrading, and i am on this forum.
and the guns. i did this as a debate topic in school (which i shouldnt have, because i partnered with a more unstable friend and was versed by a few guys that were popular in class. needless to say she had a tantrum and later asked why i wasnt upset about them talking down to me. me: eh.). i was for gun control. no, i did not say 'take away all guns'. i said 'impose stricter rules. make it so that people with severe mental issues cannot get one,' so on so fourth. i have several guns in my house. i havent shot one in years, if ever, but it feels a lot better when you live in an area where a bullet or two can mean life and death- from an armed robber to a rabid/wild animal. if i hear a tapping noise outside my room, you can be sure that the knife i have at bedside is readily available.
stupid? well, let me remind you of this:
American Grading Scale:
A - 100-93
B - 92-85
C - 84-78
D - 77-70
F (called a U- 'unsatisfactory') - 69 and below
UK Grading Scale
100-70: A
69-60: B
59-50: C
49-40: D
Below 40: F
today, kids cheat because grades are more valued than actually learning. why? because they teach us useless things in school. they dont teach you how to buy a house,how to do taxes, how to balance a checkbook or open/keep bank accounts unless you sign up for a specialized class. they teach you things that probably won't use again. i sure don't remember a lick of my Statistics. and there are parents that ground their kids when they get a C. hence, kids cheat for that A or B to avoid being punished.
i want to travel some, go to Canada, Bahamas, maybe France or Japan. mostly its Canada due to close proximity and Japan because... have you seen sakura trees? beautiful~!
so in a nutshell:
A. as an American, i believe we are fragged as a country.
B. stereotypes, while there are people that validate it, does not apply to whole countries.
C. media makes us think we look bad, to everyone (makes them disappointed) and to our own selves.
D. how can we be stupid when your lowest A (70) would be passing by the skin of the teeth for us?
E. i made a wall of text. i hope i addressed good points without coming across too brazen.
Last edited: Oct 29, 2014