Monday, September 27, 2010

Parlez-vous français?

I was ecstatic to go to the French embassy this past week, not because I particularly favor the French (though their baguettes, Tour de France, and history in relation to the U.S. is pretty cool), but because it was a chance to get into the mind of another country.  As the speaker M. Manuel noted, we can see the "glass as half-empty or half-full." 

This definitely seemed to apply to identity.  I was shocked when the diplomat bluntly stated, "There are no minorities in France."  This underscored their ruling on the burqa.  After I (a too optimistic and "liberal American") took a poll on a website against banning the burqa, I realized I was out of favor.  Apparently, homogeneity is good.  Though some may chuckle about the French diplomatic tradition to conduct business in their native tongue, there may be some admiration of their pride as well.  If a nation has so much pride in itself, can we not help but be in awe of it?  Such is a powerful country.  If, according to Wendt, we take anarchy/self-help as institutions, strong relationships may occur that are not necessarily egoistic (i.e. alliances).

I suppose that a little patriotism goes a long way.  Though we are free to choose how much we focus on our country, to a certain extent, it seems like a civic duty... grounded in reality.  Yes, we should "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" on that personal level, as blandished during the Nats game.  Still, we should not overlook the issues in America, as masked by the Customs service ads.  In contrast to the French, how does the U.S. truly feel about minorities?  How much does it act upon those feelings?  To what extent is the American language English?  Then, is integration sparse because of society's limits or our own expectations?

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