Being American

Spending an entire year in another country has made me think about certain aspects of life somewhat differently than I did before. Thank goodness, because that was the point, right? One of those things is what it means to be an American. I can compare it somewhat to those times you meet someone from your home town and they ask you what high school you went to, and as soon as you say where, they put a label on you. It is a natural thing of course, we try to associate people with certain characteristics so we can try to get know them faster and either have something in common, or so many things not in common, that we can further continue the conversation.
Here the question inevitably (especially after hearing me speak French) is where am I from? The answer brings a cocophany of different responses depending on who the questioner is, but the revelation is usually quickly followed by questions about the questioner's perception of America. The other day I met some people and told them where I was from. The discussion then proceeded to the question whether everyone carries a gun all the time and did I have a gun. Now, I get it, I really do, there is only so much of the mainstream media that flows around the world, and the stories that get the most attention are usually the most shocking ones. There are as many perceptions of America as there are people in the world, and I knew that Europeans see America differently than Americans, just as Americans see Europe differently than Europeans. I get asked questions all the time about Obama and health care. My roommate has gotten grilled on the FDA and Obama's position at the G8 summit.
The realization is that some people we meet here will never meet another American again. They'll see them on TV and in the news. They'll pass them while window shopping in Paris. They'll travel to the States and go to Disneyland, but they'll never REALLY talk to another American. In a big way this puts pressure on us to represent not only our selves well, but also our country, our ideals, our standards, and our fellow Americans. We aren't defending America on battlefields or with strategic political actions, but we certainly are defending America with our responses to curious questions. After being frustrated by this for a few months I realized that it is not just up to soldiers to defend our country, it is up to all of us to defend, and promote, the greatness of where we come from. I whole-heartedly believe that each person should have to defend their country, and sometimes their fellow countrymen, at some point in their lives, and not necessarily with weapons. I think in defending the ideals by which we live, I've come to appreciate more those ideals and miss them when they don't align with the culture in which I'm living. It is a realization which I'm not sure everyone wants to, or believes they shoud, make, and I think sometimes it leads to choices that are self-serving or perjudiced. This doesn't mean I accept the actions of all Americans, but I do fully believe in a country that gives people the freedom to make their own (right or wrong depending on my own opinion) choices.
Current religious and political debates going on in America, some of which have reached world news outlets, are frustrating, as are any actions that create a perception of a place, or religion, that isn't exactly true. America truly is a great place to live freely. Many world citizens don't understand the liberty given to Americans. The government cannot intervene whenever something doesn't meet popular opinion, it just isn't the way we work. But, the actions make me wonder if everyone involved in these debates realizes that their actions are making defending America more difficult. That the ramifications spread throughout the world, whether in perception or fact.
We, as Americans, need to defend and protect our country, not necessarily with soldiers and fighter jets, but with kinder words, meaningful actions and the practice of mutual respect.