The oil spill in the Gulf, and what it showed me about the power of opinion.
Once again, I'm touching on something that has been touched so much it's barely even a story anymore. It has been dragged and pushed around by the media to the point where I'm not even sure when it began or when it will end.
When I say I'm not sure when it began, I speak the truth. The first thing I remember hearing was on the BBC. It was halfway through my trip to London, and I had just gotten used to hearing about Greece and Italy's suffering economies on the nightly news instead of the continuous American coverage of our own problems at home.
But this night, I heard something different. Instead of hearing about how the European Union was a mess, I heard the newscaster say "enormous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico". My first thought: "Oh great."
As Americans we've become accustomed to being cynical and sometimes even hypocritical about the nation we live in. We don't like our president, even though WE voted for him. We think our government is full of a bunch of idiots even though we once said this was the year things would change and it would start with who WE vote into office. We sing the national anthem at ball games and then look over our shoulders where WE bash our own citizens and economy to "that guy" sitting behind us.
I'm not a super political person, but these are just human observations.
Living in London, I realized this was never truer. I was embarrassed to admit I was from America at times, and then I would wonder why I hesitated to respond to the cute old woman on the tube who wondered if I was American or Canadian. I constantly say I'm so lucky to be from the US. That we are free, and we are mighty, and we are the best nation in the world.
Yet, there was never pride in my voice when I answered these questions. After I heard that news report, the reality of the situation never really hit. I brushed it off as another one of America's "oopsies" moments. Then, the British people, who were strong supporters of Obama in the beginning, began to talk. It suddenly wasn't about the oil gushing into the Gulf. It was about the stupidity of America, and how once again we had made a blunder.
It stung a bit, but I wish I could say it really burned. In fact, I kind of agreed. For being a nation that is so notoriously powerful, we sure can be looked at as a bunch of losers in other nation's perspectives.
It wasn't until I returned home a month later that I realized how big of a deal this really was. Almost immediately after I stepped on US soil, I was bombarded with news about the spill. All of sudden, my patriotism came soaring back. Why hadn't I defended America back when I heard other countries attacking it?
It's a question that still makes me think, and I think it's worth a moment of contemplation.
As US citizens, we have a duty to protect our nation in every way possible. Does that include defending against what we hear come from other people's mouths? In essence, defending ourselves against others opinions?
It's a kind of global public relations that will keep this stereotype of the United States going. I don't know when it started, and I have no idea when it will end, but I have no doubt that word of mouth is an amazingly strong tool that we don't give enough credit to. The power of anti-American opinion affects other countries in this world, and I'm living proof it can affect US citizens.. I'm definitely guilty of it, and I know many other people whose opinions on America change depending on who they're having a discussion with.
My lesson learned? Pay attention and separate your own opinions from those around you. Not everyone thinks the same way you do, and it's worth a few minutes listening to the other views in this world. I can relate this simple lesson to so many things in my life, including my career, my friends and family, and even this blog.
I just wish I didn't have to realize this small issue within myself from such a devastating disaster, and here's to hoping the situation in the Gulf can be resolved.
