Ponderings

I've been thinking about several things such as how coworkers can let someone tell racial jokes when they know you're in the next room. The thing thats worse is that it ever happened in the first place. Long before this though I had been pondering something.

What would it be like if I just up and moved to another country? If I moved to the UK getting a job wouldn't be so hard since I am already a teacher and they have just as bad a shortage as the US does. It would involve more work and more schooling so I could obtain QTS (Qualified Teacher Status). As an OTT (Overseas Trained Teacher) I could teach for up to four years without having QTS. I'd have to be working toward it.

Being an expatriate is an appealing idea. It's not just because I think racism isn't everywhere. I don't go around quoting Avenue Q songs all that often but "Everyones a Little Bit Racist" deep down. Even people who think they aren't. If you've clutched your purse because someone of a specified ethnicity is coming toward you because, well, the sidewalk is a nifty place to walk, that's racism. I'm not saying you hate anybody, but you do have that twinge of fear sparking in your gut.

I suppose what I'm saying is that America's pretty bad when it comes to race, but you've probably heard or experienced that already. I know some people don't believe it. they want to believe that this country is a melting pot or cosmic salad bowl or some crap like that. It's not. As far as I can see, most people stay in their own box of candy though sometimes a milk dud does get in with the mints and sometimes some of the skittles get into the red hots.

The candies want to stay in their own package out of fear for the most part. (Here's the part where I could go Yoda on you all but I am really not into repeating snowclones.) I'm not sure why people are so afraid of "otherness", but some seem to think that it's ok to turn that racism, their fear into hate whether it is in thought, word or deed. I find that sad.

One of the reasons I wanted to move was because I've known people who've moved abroad who are very happy with what they're doing. That combined with a huge wanderlust I've come to the conclusion I just need to go. (Have I mentioned that I've never really thought much of living stateside though everyone shoves "the greatest country in the world" down my throat on a regular basis?)

I know all places have their problems such as extreme nationalism issues, and that I may just be trading one problem for another, but I want to try something completely different.

I'm going to go on one of my usual tangents and say that I know of few countries that are as scarred in racial terms as the US is. Most people will tell you that the civil war was fought over states right's issues and not slavery. Slavery was the biggest states rights issue in my opinion.

I think this history has fostered our preoccupation with race and that as a nation the US is more fractured than most would believe.