What does it mean to be an American?

[napi21]

I just took a Zogby poll on-line, and while I was there, I clicked on one of the links to the results of a previous poll.

I will put the link to it here, but it is a very long report. I think it was worth reading, but it was a PDF and 40 pages in the report and another 30+ of the raw data they used to make their deductions.

In a quick summary, America is a strongly divided country, and will be until we can agree on "What it means to be an American."

This report does a pretty good job of detailing the philosophical differences between the Red & Blue state thinking. It's a bit funny to me that they believe the great divide began in the 1960's and continues through today. Of course, I find it funny because I entered the job market in 1961, and can well relate to the findings.

I don't know how many of you want to take the time to read this report, but I found it a reasonable explaination of why the Reds & Blues don't understand each other.

Heres the link:

http://www.zogby.com/2004Olear-Zogby-ValuesReport.pdf

[NMDemDist2]

1. thanks, I'll have to print it off, I have trouble reading PDF's

but look like it will be worth the ink :)

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. Understanding.

In a quick summary, America is a strongly divided country, and will be until we can agree on "What it means to be an American."<<

In my opinion... it means taking an interest in why so many other citizens of the world find the activities of your government so repulsive and then trying to help your fellow citizens understand how and why it can be so... in order that things "may" and I say may change for the better.... before we destroy everything on this planet. As someone else said in another thread.... making preemptive war on another nation... is not an energy policy.

[napi21]

3. I don't disagree with you, but this report is deeper that that.

I sure can't remember everything I read on 40 pages, but the Zogby indepth poll found that the division began in the 60's when many things happened. Women decided they wanted to be more than wives, mothers, and homemakers. The pill was OK'd by the FDA. Inflation made it necessary for two people to work to maintain a decent standard of living. The equal rights ammendment was passed.

Very dramatic changes happened to the culture. If I interpreted it right, ther results show that a lot of people 60+ haven't been able to accept the changes.

The Red States want religious values incorporated in their government, and strong moral values. The Blue States believe in live and let live.

To some degree, I was surprised that there isn't as much difference between the Red & Blue as I thought there was. The actual numbers are pretty close. But that is why National elections are going to be extremely close for a long time to come. Things will eventually change, but it seems it's going to take time for the old ideas and people to die off.

[Egalitarian]

4. It means I was born in America

That's all it means to me. I see no value in extrapolating my identification any further. In doing so, we create more division. Identifications are a psychlogical construct of the ego which serve to divide us human beings.

[napi21]

5. Sure, but the intent is to try to understand why there is such

a division and can it be eliminated, or at least lessened?

[Egalitarian]

6. It's a matter of learning I think

I can recall as a very young one realizing that we're all the same inside(psychologically), just born into different cultures and therefore learning different thoughts about how things work and why things are as they are. I drifted from this understanding for a while, but have returned to it. It's a learned thing that requires curiosity and perseverance to see through the ill-logic of it. I know it can be eliminated.

So, the challenge I think is to educate eachother about greater possibilities that are inhibited by our previous learning.

[napi21]

7. Try to find the time to check the PDF report I included in the 1st post.

I've done my best to explain what I found in this Zogby report, but they're much better at it than I am.