If You Don't Like It .. Go Home

It's a straightforward statement and one that I expect to be hearing a lot in response to my posts. Hence before this blog gets underway, it is one that I would like to address.

This IS my home. I made a conscious choice in coming here and went through no small amount of work to supply all the documentation needed by US immigration. I did however choose a person not a country - as I wrote in my original petition submission: if my beloved were on Mars I would have applied there but she was in the USA.

Do not however assume though that I dislike the USA or its people. I have always been a huge fan of many aspects of US culture and strongly admire the American respect for freedom, its people's open and straightforward approach and the "can do" attitude which it cultivates.

There is no such thing though as the perfect society and it should not be thought of as ungrateful or disloyal to make observations where changes might be made. This is a dialog and I want to hear your views just as I hope you are interested in listening to mine. There will doubt be many occasions where I will disagree with readers but no one has anything to fear from constructive discussion even if sometimes it exposes us to a position that contradicts our own.

My wife recently wrote two sentences on a "friend's" Facebook page in response to a diatribe he posted about immigrants' use of the English language, or lack of it. Her reply was short and courteous but disagreed with him. Needless to say he deleted it. The only comments he allowed were those who applauded his position. I have no problems in calling that person a bigot. Not, I hasten to add because he and I disagree but because he has no interest in a conversation. The only reason he posts is so others can flatter his ego and praise him. His views are set in stone and he allows no possibility for changing them in response to points others might make.

I am here to learn, to benefit from the different life experience of others, and I hope you are too.