Home of the Brave

During my time at Nanzan University, I made friends with a freshman named Hikari. Her level of English was about the same as my Japanese, so we managed to communicate by switching between the two languages as needed. Hikari enjoyed watching the O.C., and she would write down English phrases she heard on the show and ask me about them later. ("Kelley, is 'you can say that again' correct English? When do you use it?")

One day I suggested to Hikari that she should study abroad in the U.S. so she could practice her English.
"But America is so scary!" She exclaimed. I was surprised.
"Why do you say that?" I said.
"It looks really dangerous. With September 11th and all, you know." She said.

The longer I stayed in Japan, the more I realized that many people have the same opinion. America is thought of as a really dangerous place. People think that everyone here owns guns and that we carry them around in public places. America wasn't the only country that was traumatized and made paranoid by September 11th- it made a lasting impression on people around the world as well.

Although probably America isn't nearly as dangerous as it's stereotype, I can't really blame anyone for thinking our country is violence-ridden. One night my host father turned on the television and we watched a Japanese news report about a mall shooting in Nebraska. The Virginia Tech shooting made international headlines too. Seriously, it seems like lately there's been just one shooting after another, and every time it happens it reinforces the stereotype of America the Trigger-Happy.