How America portrays itself to the world!

February 2nd, 2000 was the night before my first ever overseas trip. And a trip I had wanted to make since I was a very young child. This would be my first trip to the United States. This night, I was on the phone with my family. I was talking with my mum, and something she said to me has stuck with me to this day. And because of what has taken place overnight and during the last week here on DU, I am sorely reminded of those words:

"Tina, when you get over there, please do not look anyone straight into the eyes, because they are more than likely to pull a gun out and shoot you on sight."

Please notice that my mother didn't say "any black people", she included everyone.

My mother believed that to be true, right up until the moment I arrived back in Australia and was able to talk with her face to face. I explained to her that even though there are some mental cases (like in every country around the world) America is still very much like Australia.

Of course her meeting Sapphocrat has also helped my mum view Americans in a different light. Now she sees Sapph as another of her daughters. She realizes that America is not everything you see in the movies. That not everything over there evolves around violence. Or does it?

But yesterday and tonight after reading countless "I hope Tookie burns in hell," "Tookie deserves whatever he gets," "tonight justice has been served" threads, flicking channels between Faux, CNNI, and the BBC, I began to realize just how obsessed a majority of Americans are about death.

The U.S. news channels and those right here on DU need to take responsibility for how the world sees your country.

Don't think just because you are anti Iraq war but pro death penalty that you will get a free pass for not supporting the war because you won't. Regardless you have said some damn cruel things about someone right out in plain view for the world to see. And for thew world to make a judgment on an entire country about.

And it really amazed me the difference in reporting from the three above mentioned channels. Two of the above mentioned which are in one or another affiliated with the U.S. were showing just how racist they truly are, while the BBC referred to Tookie as a reformed human being. I repeat HUMAN BEING. It seems to me many right here on DU and across the country forget that regardless of what someone has done that at 12:35am CA time yet another human being lost his life.

Tell me has that death brought Tookies victims back? Does the family still suffer and mourn even though Tookie has been dead now for just over 3 hours?

Or is this yet another case of common people believing they have the right to control other peoples lives? And DO NOT come back at me with but this is just what Tookie done. Because I will simply come back and explain to you that Tookie was in jail for his crimes. Crimes which happened in 1979. He could have served out the remainder of his life in jail. But the person who pulled the switch on Tookie tonight, does he serve a sentence for taking the life of another human being?

But I digress. A few days ago I saw a post which basically had called Australian's nothing but a bunch of "uncivilized convicts." That was because of the riots seen in New South Wales last Sunday. You can bet your last dollar I was hurt and angered about it. But tonight as I sit here writing this to you I realize we really are just that. Regardless of my position on the war in Iraq when the Australian troops stationed over there take the life of another human being it is done in my name. When the riots broke out on Sunday, regardless of my position on racism the innocent people who got bashed, got bashed in my name. Why, because I didn't do enough to stop it. Just like I haven't done enough to get Australia out of Iraq. And causing death does not make a country civilized.

Tonight a serious crime was committed in California and another human being had his life taken from him at the hands of another human being. That murder was not just done in the name of all Californian's. That murder was done in the name of every American to walk this earth. And the ones I feel sorry for are those who tried their hardest to get this stop. Those who like me are totally against the DP they threw up the moment the heard his life had been taken.

And today as the world wakes up to learn that the United States took the life of yet another human being they are going to begin asking when will their be enough blood on the hands of the people of the United States. An illegal war where countless thousands of Iraqi human beings have lost their lives. And let us not mention those American servicemen and women. And now yet another person dies from an archaic law. You see, the war might not be in your name pro DPers, but regardless, you are still going to be blamed for it, just as I am because my country is involved as well, and just like the anti DPers who tried their hardest to save the life of a fellow human being will be blamed for Tookie's life being taken from him.

Now if you don't mind, I am going to try and comfort my partner as best I can over IM's. She is rather upset about what took place in her name earlier this morning.

When my husband went abroad (I've never been), he said he avoided Americans, because they were always putting down the culture of the country they were visiting. This was the 60s, when the term "Ugly American" was coined, I believe.

The execution, any execution, is not done in my name. I feel that if Mr. Williams had been white, there would have been a far better chance of him getting clemancy. But even if he didn't, I wonder if the posts would have been so condemning of him and his actions. Carla Faye Tucker (I believe I got the name right) was a white woman who was executed in Texas, and DUers here have condmened Bush's actions-mocking her, delighting in her death after he refused her clemancy. I don't recall, and I may be wrong, but when Carla Faye is mentioned, folks talk of her reformation while in prison, and how terrible it was for Bush to act the way he did. I don't recall her crimes mentioned except in passing. Carla Faye Tucker was white.

The US still has a lot of problems, and they are ingrained in the psyche of the country. One is this concept that blood revenge is ok, and another that racism is ok. Hug your partner for me, please, as I cry with you this morning.

...every American I would term "ugly American" I have come across in my country have all been republicans.

I have also noticed that the majority of those hell bent on revenge killings are republicans or centrists.

I was truly heartbroken to see so many DUers (who I thought were really good people) say such vile things about a fellow human being. You would think that people on a left leaning message board would remember that to err is human to forgive is divine.

Dear America the beautiful,

Keep celebrating, a man has died... been murdered today - yet, as many in your "Christian nation" make ready to rejoice in this most sacred holiday... when you celebrate the words of a man who spoke only of unconditional forgiveness, you cheer a revenge killing. What a wonderful way to pronounce your belief in God's word to the rest of the world. Better yet, you proclaim there is a "War Against Christmas" all the while enacting a War Against the message of Christ.

Funny, that irony always seems to slip right by many.

Merry Christmas from Holland.

...of our image problems.

...but the DP helps contribute to those image problems. And is something that all Americans need to realize.

"I am scared to go to New York because everybody has guns there." My students used to say this to me all the time.

Americans are the most uncomfortable with death and sex. There is something there about freedom and power not equaling control, and that is the psychological dilemma. Maybe I will write on it at some point.

Nobody is indispensible.

Too many articles in GD pertaining to national and international issues are adding up.

The corporate sect is keen on exterminating the middle class.

Never mind global warming, the new talk about potential future food shortages because we're running out of usable land space, and so on... Dunno how many of these articles are true or exist solely for societal engineering and fearing us all into jinogistic compliance or suicide...

And the oil problem, so far, has already shown signs that "the great die-off" is about to begin. Or has already. Doesn't everybody miss complaining about $3+/gallon gas?

Comfort yourselves with this one issue about a sick puppy whose quick reform is very debatable. When the 7 all-encompassing issues become popular again, you will find much less comfort than what is available.

Maybe that's why tookiemania was popular. It's easier to bestow one's emotions on smaller issues. We think we can do more. And we can't do jack about half of the major issues, conveniently forgotten because of the tookster.

Yet it's more fun to whine and piddle over one man's fate, whose past is very much dishonorable and didn't change until the magic moment of being put on death row! Again, if only he didn't do what he did in the first place... (and I'm obviously not excepted because I got involved too. Even when whining that the whole tookiemania was in itself a diversionary discussion.)

...for the first time I ever, I can honestly say to you, could you have been any more condescending to me than you have been just now?

Nothing of the oil situation in the U.S. The corporate control in the U.S. Or even the Global Warming issues affect how the world views your country.

I do not comfort myself in the fact that another human being lost his life due to archaic laws in the U.S. Nor do I seek sympathy for it. I have stated quite clearly that I am anti DP, but I was not for Tookie being released. The man did crimes and deserves to be punished for those crimes. Only death is not punishment. His death does not bring back his victims. His death does not help the victims families pain subside any easier.

And you know me, HT. You know I do not take short cuts. You know I do not support only smaller issues. Or the issue which happens to be flavor of the moment. If you think I do, then you really do not know me at all.

You need to realize, HT, that the DP issue was never about Tookie or making his victims families suffer any more than they already have. It was all about whether or not the government should be allowed to murder their own citizens in revenge killings.

But enough. I am not here to debate the whose side is right or wrong. I am here to explain to you as an outsider of your country, how your country is being viewed by those of us on the out side. So next time you ask, why do they hate us? You can see that it is because of how America has portrayed itself to the world.

On edit: typo

With our 725 bases in 140 countries and our guns pointed in every direction and snubbing every international treaty. Not to mention our HIStory.


A protester holds a candle after news of the execution of Stanley Tookie Williams.
(Mark Boster / LAT)

Cartoon character or Killer? Certainly not a good role model for children. Behind that grin lies a sick man.

With our 725 bases in 140 countries

Sapphocrat is forever asking why is the U.S. occupying Australia with its bases here for?

But the pro DP people really need to realize that the image of death does get out and does add to how the world will view America as a nation.

Tookie's case even made it here to Aussie shores. I am guessing it is because of the anti DP stance the majority of Australian's have. Especially in light of the recent murder of an Australian citizen at the hands of the Singapore government.