Interview #2 on America

I mentioned a couple of posts ago how my niece had this interview assignment. I kept the answers that I gave to her just so that I could use them here if I felt so inclined. She told me on Saturday that she tweaked it a bit before she turned it in. Drat her. The first question below is the one where I was a real smart-alec in answering. I gave her a Paulina answer. Paulina plans to be a social studies teacher and always flips when someone refers to the USA as America. Technically America is North America and South America and has several countries in each. Our country is the United States of America, not just America or ‘Merica like they tried to say on some reality show last year. Anyway, enough of my rants, here were my answers. Sorry if they are too political for you, try to ignore me in that regard.

What do you think about America?

Do you mean the continent or the country? I think the United States is in a world of hurt because it is being held hostage by people who are afraid of progress and diversity. I cringe every time people in North Dakota talk about how bad the area of Western North Dakota has become. [This is in regard to how people from all different states and now from various countries have moved into the area.] Diversity is a fact of the technology that is part of our life. As we gain the ability to move and connect, we are shrinking the globe. We need to open ourselves up and embrace the differences in the people around us and in our world, and we need to open our minds to learning new things. I really don’t believe that building fences around our country is the answer; we need to tear down the barriers that separate us from others. That is the end of my sermon on that.

[I am not sure if I blogged about him or not, but when James and I were at the North Dakota Coaches Convention, the opening speaker at the Track and Field coaches session was a coach, originally from little tiny Zeeland, ND. He currently coaches at Fargo South and they placed quite high in the Class A division this past year. He said that he has athletes not just from several countries, but from every continent except Antarctica and Australia and he didn’t think they would be getting any from either of those places. He loved the diversity because of how much they all learned from each other.]

What does the future hold for America?

I have no idea except that the next presidential election scares me to death. Some of what is being said in the name of campaigning is either a bad joke or should wake up intelligent people to get out and vote and demand better candidates. Money shouldn’t be the only way people win, and it shouldn’t be the only reason they run. Finished with this sermon too.