Thank you Mr. Silver, for proving my point

Yesterday, I posted about four individual people helping to strengthen the world's stereotypical views that Americans don't learn about anything outside of America. I started the post by discussing how people can avoid looking stupid by asking for clarification instead of assuming they know what they're talking about. My specific examples of these people assuming facts were:
1. "Do you have any cigarettes made in Europe?" to which the man replied, "Yes ... from Canada." This individual stated outright that he felt Canada was in Europe. Instead of saying, "No, we don't. We have a Canadian made brand" or in case he doesn't really know where Canada is, "I don't know. Which countries are in Europe? or Where is Canada?" These questions would have shown him to be an individual willing to learn. This does not make him look stupid.

2. The nurse, "Europe? Oh, I know that country!" This woman stated outright that she felt Europe was a country. This is an inaccurate fact. She could have avoided looking stupid by saying, "I'm familiar with Europe. Ukraine is a country in Europe? Can you explain further?" This would have been better than assuming she was correct.

3. About the person thinking India did not have cars: "Well, they don't in those Indiana Jones movies." This person came out and explained their assumption comes from a movie. What they could have said was, "I don't know much about India, could you explain it to me?" This shows a willingness to learn and doesn't base reality on a fictional movie.

4. The girl traveling to Europe, telling the banker that first she was going to the country of Europe and then stating that Paris and Frankfurt were countries. The banker kindly asked for clarification about which countries in Europe and the girl actually got mad at the banker. She could have said, "I'm going to Europe and I'll be staying in Paris and Frankfurt. Do you know which are countries, which are cities, and which is a continent?" People are willing to help others learn. People find amusement in the ignorant views of individuals.

In these four examples, I was stating, "Through my life, I've run into some pretty ignorant Americans. People who assume facts and share their inaccurate views with others, proving how little they know." Let's break this down.

First of all, I said, "I've run into SOME pretty ignorant Americans." This does not say all Americans are ignorant, nor does it say that all other nationalities are not ignorant. It is saying that SOME people living in America are ignorant. Ignorant, defined by Webster's dictionary: 1. lacking knowledge or experience 2. cause by or showing lack of knowledge 3. unaware. These people showed their lack of knowledge. This does make them ignorant about the subject of global geography.

Going further down the ignorant pass, I posted, "People assume facts and share their inaccurate views with others, proving how little they know." This is them showing lack of knowledge. It means pretty much the exact same thing.

All of this is fueled by a comment left to the post. Here is the comment:
"Feeling a little racial?

The problem here is that they don't know where places are, not that they pretended to, as you attest-- unless you're reporting your stories inaccurately.

I think it's a good idea to can anti-Americanism, and call it what it is: RACISM.

~Jason Silver "

My comments about this:

About the part, "Feeling a little racial?" Racial, as defined by Webster's is: of or characteristic of a race. Perhaps, the word Mr. Silver was looking for was radical, meaning: 1. of or from the root; fundamental 2. favoring basic change, as in the social or economic structure -n. 1. a person holding radical views (Note - I'm leaving out the definitions pertaining to math symbols and scientific processes about atoms). Maybe he was looking for the word racial. I won't assume this isn't what he means, I'll just state it does not describe what the rest of his comment suggests. If I was feeling racial, I would be feeling like an American, Caucasian woman. I would be feeling as if I live in America and have light skin and breasts. I'm not sure this is what I was feeling.

These people were pretending that they knew these facts. They did not say, "I don't know what I'm talking about, can you help me?" Yes, they are mistakes the people made, it is used to show how asking for help or clarification can go much further than speaking as if you know about a subject. When you assume your information is correct without knowing that it is, you open the door of risk of showing to the world your lack of knowledge. This makes you ignorant.

There are some extremely intelligent Americans in the field of global geography. In no way am I saying all Americans are stupid. I don't believe that in any way. I'm not saying I'm an expert in global geography. I did say I took classes in college to increase my understanding of the world. In the post, I never put an assumption of where some place was located or the defined term to describe that place. I did state, Europe is a continent. True. I did state, France and Germany are countries. True. I did state, Paris and Frankfurt are cities. True. I did state Ukraine is a country. True. I did state that Canada borders Minnesota. True. These are facts that I KNOW and can be backed up by looking at a, say it with me here, MAP.

In the fact that I did not say ALL Americans are stupid, I find it hard to believe this is "Anti-Americanism". I will admit my opinion of these four individual Americans was lessened by their "showing lack of knowledge". These were specific events and ideas presented by four specific people who showed they didn't know what they were talking about. My opinion of these four people is that they should think before they speak. It is not racism in the fact I am not saying that ALL Americans are stupid. The term "American" in my post is a descriptive word to define the nationality of these people. They live in America. I do too. So do people responding to the post. I don't think they are ignorant. I especially liked Rod's post, explaining his trip to Moldova (which, on a lighter note, I've met many individuals from Moldova and did do a report on the country in my Post-Soviet States geography class - it's a wonderful country full of culture, pretty much like every other country in the world - you know, the full of culture part) and how he described where it is located. He had a correct fact and shared that he KNEW what he was talking about.

So, I need to say, "Thank you" to Mr. Silver. I enjoyed how your comment posted assumptions about my "vant". I did explain in my post that these people "pretended to" know where places were. I did not write about "Anti-Americanism". I wrote about four people living in America sharing their ignorance with others.

The general theme my post was how people can appear smarter by admitting when they don't know something. It is about how pretending to know something can make one appear ignorant. When you act like an expert on everything pretty soon you'll show that you're not. Be willing to learn. Throw your assumptions out the window. If you don't KNOW, find out.

8 Comments:

At 6:20 PM, CarpeDM said...

Ah, the fiery wrath of Beth. How I enjoy it when it is not pointed in my direction.

Mr. Silver, thank you, thank you, thank you for setting Beth off on a vant of almost Biblical proportions. Thank you for proving your ignorance of both her post and also of Beth.

You see, Mr. Silver, Beth is many things. She is, as she stated an American with light skin and breasts but she is also possessed with a keen intellect and a unique and logical argument. She is continuously asked if she has considered becoming a lawyer. She is compassionate and very strong in her beliefs that all Humans should be treated equally, irregardless of race, religion, creed or sexual preference. She is my friend and a champion to those who are oppressed and downtrodden (including me).

So when you attack Beth, it is a good idea to have a dictionary and a well thought argument. There is an old saying, perhaps you've heard it, "I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person." Perhaps you should think before you speak, or in this case, type. If Beth has a fault, it is a fault that many other people share, in finding stupidity and ignorance to be amusing. Wow. What a bitch. Oh, wait, that's a fault I share, since I found her post about these 4 individuals to be amusing, certainly not racial (dude, get a dictionary). So I must be a bitch as well.

Thank you for pointing that out to me. Anyway, thanks for a good laugh, Mr. Silver. You idiot. Oh, sorry, that was the bitch part coming out.

At 7:08 PM, The Lioness said...

And to think I was controlling myself while I wrote my first comment because I didn't want to be too impolite in someone else's blog! Let me just get it off my chest then please please please!

Silverman,you're a waste of ethernet. just SHUT UP. (I too am a bitch. I even warn people about it in my profile.)

At 8:37 PM, Anonymous said...

Well, I'm sorry for misunderstanding. I've lived in the US for five years, and often hear Canadians bashing them. I guess I jumped to conclusions.
Sorry again,
~Jason

At 9:00 PM, brooksba said...

To Jason,

Thank you for checking back in and taking the time to read my response to your comment. I appreciate your willingness to listen to (or read) my justification. That means a lot to me.

Thank you for taking the time.

Beth

At 9:13 PM, Anonymous said...

You're welcome. I find it all quite amusing.
If we can't communicate openly with each other, why are we blogging, right?
~Jason

At 10:04 PM, CarpeDM said...

Jason,I must apologize for my comment. As Beth rightfully pointed out after she read it, she attacked your words in a logical manner, I attacked you in my cheerfully illogical vanting style. For that, I am sorry. I read your reply to Beth and understand where the confusion came from.

I have climbed off of my soapbox and also agree that, if you have a blog, I would enjoy reading it. It would be interesting to get a Canadian's point of view about living in America. So if you don't have one, you should get one. Now.

At 10:18 PM, The Lioness said...

I came in to apologise, read recent comments and am now even more embarrassed than before, which serves me right. I do apologise for ranting about stuff that is none of my business on someone else's blog, for not exercising my usual sleep-on-it caution and for general misdirected bitchiness due to things that none of you could possibly care about. For all it's worth, I'm impressed by all of you (Beth, Jason and DM), you did it all so gracefully.

At 6:58 PM, Anonymous said...

aww sheesh, now I'm blushing! ;)

Thanks everyone. Good dialogue!

~Jason
CrookedBush.com and the domain has nothing to do with George