Ambassador

After class, after parties, after lunch it is always the same response... you are not like other Americans. What is it that leads these new people that I meet to say this?

Went to a party Friday night in Grenoble. I was introduced to all of these different people, all french people, and as soon as they heard my accent they asked if I was English. No, from California. “Oh from California, c’est super!” But after a few exchanges the topic of politics always came up and I was left to amend the image of my country. After a few days of thought this has what I have come to realize. America is not seen the same in the hearts and minds of the American people as it is exported through the media and the news. This change of hand of the American image leaves the Americans themselves at a disadvantage when they are traveling abroad. The Europeans have the audiovisual proof to defend their conception of America as a fat, gun-slinging, petroleum-based, consumer, capitalist, and overall evil empire. When one finds themselves at this starting point in a conversation, one immediately knows that there is a lot of work to be done.

At the party I told a French girl that if I became the President the first thing I would do is walk into a homeless shelter and bring some families to the White House to do their laundry and have a nice meal. Nothing very fancy, just food that they wanted eat, prepared by caring hands and delivered during relevant conversations. No media, no scripts or sound bites, just conversation without worrying about the safety of their children for one day. It will take many years to give the people a functioning welfare state without crippling the economy, but a plate of food and some clean clothes can be made in an hour and a half.

The look of awe painted her face and as she could not believe what she was hearing. I did not defend every point, I just told her what I believed from my heart and that said it all. She then turned to another french man and told him what I said. He told me that it was impossible. He introduced himself as Smile and a great debate about the merits of capitalism commenced.

Today, Monday, I received a phone call from Smile to go out to lunch and talk. Turns out he is a professor of economy at a highschool in Grenoble and ten years my elder. We spoke about the differences between American and French culture for many hours and I once again was told that I was not like other Americans. I asked Smile if he had ever been to the States before and he told me that he never wanted to step foot there, because they just want to take his money. I couldn’t help but laugh. I asked him how he knew this to be true and he once again pointed to TV and movies.

Unfortunately this is not uncommon. In fact, every time I have asked one of my classes if they had ever met an American before only 3 out of 10 replied yes. The fact that people have not ever met an American before does not deny them opinions about Americans. The daily news bolsters an image of a spreading American empire on the search for oil. Movies by Michael Moore are treated like scripture and are used as test material in English class. The movie Super Sized Me has been quoted in my presence at least 5 times. Our mainstream media spreads the poison and our counter-culture media gives this audiovisual proof to those who love to hate America. I don’t know what to say any more other than that there are many others like me.

In my brief stay here in France I have become a petite Ambassador for the United States. So far at least 4 people have told me that they hated Americans before they met me and now they open to the idea that Americans are good people. My fellow Americans, I am reporting from the front lines and I must say this is a ticking time bomb. We all must work together to mend this broken image of our beautiful country as we are losing friends by the day. Maybe that doesn’t matter to anyone at home, but for an American abroad my life has never been tougher.

Until next time.