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| No idea how many parts of the US you've lived in- but it does not always work like this. Many people from the deep South will not buy a beer from a NYer- never mind welcome them. Have you ever tried being a Mexican in Arizona or Colorado (unless you want to clean the toilets)?  One of my cousins from NJ moved to California to escape 'foreigners' - then she said she just had to move again as 'she couldn't even recognize the vegetables at the supermarket'. What they say about Obama and his wife makes your hair stand on ends too- and nothing to do with politics. Racism is alive in the US- really - sadly. | |
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I've lived in Ohio, Virginia, California, Virginia, and Illinois (Chicago), Texas (thanks to my military father).
I am well aware of how Americans are. I've lived in many regions.
The Deep South is not representative of the U.S. as a whole, nor do the majority of Americans live there, and "deep south" is not all "deep south". Houston is a liberal democratic city, but the surburbs and rural areas are deeply conservative and often backward. Atlanta is alright, but drive a couple of hours to Macon and you will think you entered another country.
But the point is, on average, America is pretty liberal, if it was not, those people above, could not be famous, rich, on popular television programs, etc. Someone in America is watching them, buying their books, inviting them on talk shows, etc.
Racism is alive and well everywhere.
Want to know what my girlfriend's father says about Muslims and Germans. Might make your hair stand up too.
No one is saying American is perfect, it is definitely not. My point is obviously not perfection. If your point is to prove America is not perfect, well you can stop right now, because you aren't saying anything any reasonable person does not already know.
My point is to compare the general attitude in Switzerland, and especially with some posters here to the environment I come from.
Often we think things are normal because that is how we grew up. We might think it is normal to take strong objection to any foreigner saying anything about our country, tell them to shut up, leave, etc.
That is not always a normal attitude everywhere in the world. Clearly not.