Well this is the stereotype of Americans over here (overly patriotic, right wing, gun toting redneck), and some people like to use it for an instant feeling of superiority. As if there's no such thing as racism/jingoism/xenophobia in this country. WTF? (Okay, maybe it's less overt and melodramatic, at least right now. But it festers under the surface and that can be even worse. We've got absolutely no excuse to feel superior.)

That's the thing - I think a lot of this attitude, both overseas and here, is all based on a stereotype. Yes, there are overly patriotic right wing gun toting rednecks out there; I live in Kansas. I know a lot. And even out of that group of people most of them are decent, hard-working, and aren't racist assholes. And I think that's part of the reason why I'm oversensitive to this kind of thing, because I live in a part of the country that is so stereotyped, in such a mean way, and that's not what people are like here at all. Are there racists? Of course - probably just as many as there are anywhere else.

Absolutely not OT - I always love hearing someone else's perspective!