Reader angry at student's wasted opportunities > Letter to the Editor > Stories > Denver

RECENT STORIES

Fifth annual Indigenous Film & Arts Festival ( Jeanne Rubin )
Police blotter: Woman shot in drive-by ( YourHub.com )
Historic debates challenge students' understanding ( YourHub.com )
Walk to School Day a healthy step for kids ( Toni Gatzen, CDOT )
The Children's Hospital commemorates centennial ( Amy Moynihan )

share a story | more postings »

YourHub.com \\ Denver \\ Stories \\ Sound Off \\ Letter to the Editor

Reader angry at student's wasted opportunities

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

Contributed by: Patricia Buxkemper on 12/4/2006

This letter is in reference to the column Anti-American sentiment abroad by Ryan Boulding, posted on Oct. 29 and published in the Nov. 16 print edition of YourHub.com. Click here to read the column.

Dear Mr. Boulding,

I was very angry when I read your piece in the Nov. 16 YourHub.com paper.

Why are you wasting the wonderful opportunity you have been given to study in England (or anywhere abroad) and really get to know other peoples and other cultures?

You give two examples of what you take as personal insults. The first was obviously an inebriated person verbally attacking you and your friends -- probably in a pub. How many other English people have verbally attacked you this way? You say you think they hae these feelings but aren't vocal. Have you talked to any you meet? You might be surprised at how many have very good feelings towards you -- because you are a 'Yank!' But English people always give you 'your space'; they don't intrude. Ask my neighbours!

I have a friend (American) who happened to land in England on 9/11. She said everywhere she went people stopped her and her husband to give their condolences.

Your other peeve was about one of your teachers who you think showed a contempt towards Americans, because you think she thinks her culture is superior. I'd say her bias was towards you. Have you given her good cause for that? Why would she say that 'here we walk places?' Have you complained about the transportation difficulties? You are a young person, and I am well aware that young people nowadays are more into keeping fit, etc. so I would think you could do a little walking to get to your classes. My sister is 92 years old and walks to town to get her paper and groceries every day.

Why would your teacher say"I don't know about your country but here we don't talk when the teacher is talking." It sounds as though you were interupting her class. You should have told her right there and then that in this country we do not talk when the teacher is talking either. And then shut up!

So you knkow where I am coming from: I was an English War Bride, came here in February 1946, probably about the same age you are now. I 've been an American citizen long than you have. When I came up against people who didn't understand that being English was a great advantage in life, I didn't write home whining that America was against English people, I settled down to showing everyone I came into contact with that having an English person as an American citizen was a great advantage for the U.S.A.

Thank you,

Patricia M. Buxkemper

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story

Talk Back : submit comments to the story

*Note: you need to log-in to add a comment or rating.

Thank you! Your comment has been updated.

SAVE AND SHARE THIS STORY

digg	Google
del.icio.us	Yahoo!
reddit	newsvine

What is this?

STORY RSS FEEDS

All stories

All stories in Denver

All stories by Eric Lubbers

WANT TO WRITE FOR YOURHUB.COM?

Want to see the stories you write and the photos you shoot featured in the YourHub.com Thursday print section available all over the Front Range and with home subscriptions of the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post? All you have to do is register, then post a story or column, start a blog or tell everyone what events are happening in town. We will print the best stories, columns, event listings, photos and blog entries in our print sections.

Loading Ad