Rowdy Colonists

by Ken Vincent, Columnist & Featured Contributor

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]M[/su_dropcap]Y WIFE ONCE worked for an English Lord. When our Independence Day approached and all his American employees expected the day off, he said something to this effect:

Oh yes, isn’t that when a bunch of you colonists got drunk and rowdy and tossed some of our tea in the drink?”

As I contemplate that observation again it occurs to me just how off the mark that comment was and how that relates to today. How so? Well, at the risk of being castigated by people on several continents I’ll try to explain.

I’ve been writing and reading comments on multiple LinkedIn sites for about a year and a half now. While many people in many countries frequently comment on the issues we face in the US, I don’t recall seeing any posts by Americans on how those in Europe, Asia, Central America, or Australia should deal with their problems. A few things that we could comment on would include:

[message type=”custom” width=”100%” start_color=”#F0F0F0 ” end_color=”#F0F0F0 ” border=”#BBBBBB” color=”#333333″]

• The British Queen over spending her budget, or should they even have royalty
• Whether Greece should be tossed out of the Euro
• Whether Australian males should show more respect to females and stop calling them “Sheilas”
• Is it a good idea for Sicily to be giving houses and farms away for free to those willing to restore them and live in them
• Should climbing Mr. Everest be banned so people are not caught in avalanches
• Should India enforce a ban on having more than one child
• Are the Nordic countries headed for economic disaster due to their very socialistic style of government
• Is getting a drivers license in Panama too complicated[/message]

Well, you get the idea. But, I find it interesting that those in other countries are so certain that they know more than we about how our immigration/boarder issue should be resolved. Whether of not our gun culture is out of hand. Should we have term limits on our elected officials. Is our race relations getting worse in recent years. Are our cops dedicated to harassing minorities, and a long list of other matters.

Don’t misunderstand me. I believe that we should encourage and welcome all ideas and comments, no matter what the source. My point is that perhaps those commenting should understand that no matter how much they study the issues they are not here living them and may not be playing with a full deck of facts. Can I really tell the Greeks how to vote on a resolution when I’m not the one living there with little money, no job, and restrictions on how much I can take out of my bank account each day? Do I really understand the emotional tie of the British to their monarchy or its effect on tourism?

There is a subtle but real difference between suggesting solutions, proposing ideas for consideration and telling us that we are wrong and what we must do. Example: If you live in a foreign country don’t tell me that I shouldn’t be allowed to own a gun because some fool shot up a school or church. Don’t tell me that if we banned guns the way your country does,no emotionally disturbed person in the US could get a gun. Perhaps it would be more useful to suggest how we could establish a better program for identifying and treating those disturbed people.

Keep the comments coming, but perhaps stated as ideas and suggestions not condemnations and dictates.

Responses are welcome and civility appreciated.