Wonderful, enlightening, and educational discussion which I didn’t get to
read until now due to Easter preparations. I grew up in Miami (where my
father still lives) and love it there, too. Great city…however
crime-ridden it is!
Much of what you both (Davor and Adrianna) say is very true. How to change
it is another story. I think we all do what we can, on however a small scale
that may be. I am an elected school board member so I try on a daily basis
to encourage our school district to begin foreign language instruction at
early ages for our children. What I am finding is that everyone (here)
agrees with me, but money—-as usual—-is a huge obstacle. In America, we
depend on the taxpayers for monies to run our schools and we (my school
district/community) have a huge levy ($$$) on the ballot for May because our
state (OH) supposedly has run out of money for education. It is very
frustrating!
The diversity issue and the racial issues are ones with which we contend on
a daily basis. Educated people fight the system and the social mores but
again, it is difficult to see any major progress so we can only do what we
can do….inch by inch, person by person. True, there are many “ugly
Americans” but then again, there are many wonderful people who live here who
are educated and compassionate sorts who try to buck the system.
I guess what I would like to say is that there are social ills and political
problems and economic sores in all countries and if we all can take the time
to get to know one another on a person by person basis, then we will be able
to break through those barriers and find that we have more in common than we
may think.
All I can say is that people had better start getting along in the future or
we won’t have anything left of our world. It’s a scary place right now, as
we all know. I understand what you say about perceptions of America
politics/military might and I agree with most of it. Again, how to change it
is mind-boggling.
So I continue to dance kolos and play tamburitza music. I believe that
Croatian people not only have a very rich and beautiful folkloric heritage
but that part of the reason that this heritage has been so much a part of
everyday life, is that it truly is an escape from the realities of life.
Melissa Pintar Obenauf
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