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Tue Oct 24, 2017, 04:18 PM

NNadir (29,294 posts)

I have never been so ashamed to be an American.

I'm at an industry event in Germany and there was a person checking attendees in at one of the halls.

There was no line behind me so she struck up a conversation.

She told me that her son is an excellent student, and that she'd worked all her life to be able to send him the United States for an American university education, but now she is afraid to do so. (She spoke excellent English, and excellent German.)

I tried to tell her that her son would be safe, but she refused to believe me.

She pinched her skin and told me she was born in Africa. "My son will not be safe in your country," she insisted.

I understand her point. It's very possible that an African young man with a German accent might well be killed in our country.

I'm so ashamed.

We are not just losing the fine citizens who saw our country as a promised land, the best of the best.

We are losing the intellectuals, the thinkers, the people of broad spirit and broad culture who have always enriched our country for more than 200 years.

I'm so ashamed.

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20 replies	Author	Time	Post
I have never been so ashamed to be an American. (Original post)	NNadir	Oct 2017	OP
I will tell you what I told someone else	Angry Dragon	Oct 2017	#1
This	MFM008	Oct 2017	#2
People are not safe in this country. We should be honest about that.	Irish_Dem	Oct 2017	#3
How many Italians rescinded their nationality over Berlusconi?	brooklynite	Oct 2017	#4
I'm not denying it. I am simply ashamed that it has allowed an awful person like this racist...	NNadir	Oct 2017	#8
We all should be ashamed	world wide wally	Oct 2017	#5
That is really unfortunate.	smirkymonkey	Oct 2017	#6
Maybe the same reasons	treestar	Oct 2017	#18
I've had a similar and gradually building experience	bellmartin	Oct 2017	#7
Welcome to DU	volstork	Oct 2017	#10
Nearly most of my life, I have never been accepted as an "American"	yuiyoshida	Oct 2017	#9
I've found that people respond to and as individuals.	mn9driver	Oct 2017	#11
I was more ashamed of our colonial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan	AngryAmish	Oct 2017	#12
Absolutely	shadowmayor	Oct 2017	#13
Trump is an asshole. He has yet to kill millions.	AngryAmish	Oct 2017	#16
My son-in-law is half Chinese.	murielm99	Oct 2017	#14
My daughter in law is Asian----	virgogal	Oct 2017	#19
I agree with you.	murielm99	Oct 2017	#20
I'm afraid to be here and was born here,	They_Live	Oct 2017	#15
It's making many Americans sick, most Americans I think.	NNadir	Oct 2017	#17

Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 04:22 PM

Angry Dragon (36,693 posts)

1. I will tell you what I told someone else

You have nothing to be ashamed about

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 04:22 PM

MFM008 (19,637 posts)

2. This

Is the " new " normal Flake was talking about.

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 04:22 PM

Irish_Dem (23,817 posts)

3. People are not safe in this country. We should be honest about that.

America has a violent gun culture. We can be shot going about our daily business. And people of color are in danger.

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 04:27 PM

brooklynite (78,404 posts)

4. How many Italians rescinded their nationality over Berlusconi?

When you deny your “Americanism”, you hand it to the Republicans.

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Response to brooklynite (Reply #4)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 05:25 PM

NNadir (29,294 posts)

8. I'm not denying it. I am simply ashamed that it has allowed an awful person like this racist...

...buffoon to set foot in, never mind live in, the White House.

It's a huge stain on our history.

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 04:36 PM

world wide wally (20,963 posts)

5. We all should be ashamed

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 04:43 PM

smirkymonkey (63,221 posts)

6. That is really unfortunate.

However, I never understood why Europeans want to send their children to American schools? I think they get a much better education over there and it's much cheaper. Why would they want to come here in the first place? Just strike up a conversation w/ your average European - they know so much more about politics, history, literature, philosophy, geography, languages, etc. than even very well educated Americans.

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Response to smirkymonkey (Reply #6)

Wed Oct 25, 2017, 09:23 AM

treestar (79,862 posts)

18. Maybe the same reasons

We would want to go to school in Europe. Travel and broader experience.

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 05:06 PM

bellmartin (218 posts)

7. I've had a similar and gradually building experience

...in 1982 and '88, traveling in Europe, I was ashamed about Reagan.

...a little less embarrased in '89, with GHW Bush.

In 2005, I was even more ashamed in European travels because of W.

In 2014, I was elated because of President Obama.

I dread going back to Europe. This is of a new magnitude. We are all tarred with this hideous stain.

It's one of my fondest hopes that when we're able to begin putting the pieces back together again, we can help the rest of the world to see that it was largely a hideous aberration, not who we really are. I'm hoping to hear many enlightened voices from other countries who feel able to support us again, with even government officials able to speak freely about just how grotesque the spectacle was.

Even in the best-case scenarios, it's going to take a lot of time and healing.

It sounds melodramatic to say it (at least for now), but it really does make me think I'm beginning to understand what it was like for German and Japanese citizens postwar. May it never come to a closer comparison.

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Response to bellmartin (Reply #7)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 06:33 PM

volstork (5,106 posts)

10. Welcome to DU

and thank you for this post. Your hope for the future is my hope as well. May it come to pass.

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 06:27 PM

yuiyoshida (37,859 posts)

9. Nearly most of my life, I have never been accepted as an "American"

I am Asian-American, yes...I speak English.... its my first language and Japanese is my second language and yes I was born here. I am sick of telling people all my life that I am not a Foreigner nor a visitor...and now with Trump in office, its even more difficult. How many forms of I-D do I need to prove I was born in the United States? I have a Calfornia driver's licence and a Passport that states I was born in the United States. I also have an state Birth certificate and a Social Security number...

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 06:45 PM

mn9driver (3,250 posts)

11. I've found that people respond to and as individuals.

I've met and made many friends when visiting other countries, even after Trump. These days, his name always comes up sooner or later. So far I haven't run into anyone that supports him, so that just gives us something else in common and something to roll our eyes about over beer.

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 06:48 PM

AngryAmish (25,704 posts)

12. I was more ashamed of our colonial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

We killed millions. No one cares.

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Response to AngryAmish (Reply #12)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 07:07 PM

shadowmayor (1,325 posts)

13. Absolutely

The death and destruction we have rained down on countries all in the name of fighting "terror" is deplorable. If that doesn't make you ashamed of what is done in our country's name, then I suppose nothing will? And on and on it goes.

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Response to shadowmayor (Reply #13)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 08:17 PM

AngryAmish (25,704 posts)

16. Trump is an asshole. He has yet to kill millions.

But give him time.

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 07:21 PM

murielm99 (28,773 posts)

14. My son-in-law is half Chinese.

He is a Canadian citizen. He let his passport lapse. He is afraid to come here.

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Response to murielm99 (Reply #14)

Wed Oct 25, 2017, 04:25 PM

virgogal (10,178 posts)

19. My daughter in law is Asian----

my grandchildren are 1/2 Asian----------they have never had one ounce of trouble because of their ethnicity.

I don't know where your son-in-law is getting his information but I would advice him to ignore it.

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Response to virgogal (Reply #19)

Wed Oct 25, 2017, 11:05 PM

murielm99 (28,773 posts)

20. I agree with you.

But he has become paranoid about coming back to this country. No one has been able to change his mind.

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Response to NNadir (Original post)

Tue Oct 24, 2017, 07:39 PM

They_Live (3,017 posts)

15. I'm afraid to be here and was born here,

but I don't know where to go with my family. This was the first president I can remember that made children cry with fear when he was elected, and it is only getting worse. Our congress and our "pResident" are the biggest threat to my family, and to our culture. It is literally making me sick.

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Response to They_Live (Reply #15)

Wed Oct 25, 2017, 01:52 AM

NNadir (29,294 posts)

17. It's making many Americans sick, most Americans I think.

I can't believe I wake up to this crap every morning.

It's worse than I thought it would be, and I thought it would be terrible.

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