America Sucks

Imagine HOW mad Rachel and I were this morning when we realized that being American no longer mattered.

Rachel and I, two America-loving, tax-paying, property-owning, independent, registered voters. Two America-loving, tax-paying, property-owning (and so on and so forth) Americans who no longer believe in their country.

It's sad, really.

We decided that we hated America this morning when we were denied entry onto an American base on account of our residency status in Japan. You know, it's funny, that when the man argued that we were residents of Japan (according to the condition of the 3-year work visa inside our passports, that is) thus refusing us entry to the base, I actually replied, 'Well, it's not by choice!' He didn't seem to care, though.

It's true. Can you believe it? Two America-loving, tax-paying, property-owning, independent, registered voters, not allowed easy access onto the bases in Okinawa because we're not, evidently, 'American' enough.

We've reckoned that the basis of this claim is to keep non-family, residents of other countries from having easy access to the American base, but for bloody Christ, we're FREAKIN' American, right!?

So, again, when the man today, told us that we, two, America-loving, tax-paying, property-owning, independent, registered voters, couldn't gain easy access to the base, as all other Americans are allowed to do, we were pretty pissed.

Were? Are. And probably will be forever.

As Ray lays next to me, her words are, 'hurt, actually'. I couldn't agree more. We, as international Americans in a world who scorns Americans, are some of the country's biggest cheerleaders. Sure, we don't lay down our lives by serving our country with honor and pride, but we do sneak into International teaching placements to brainwash small children into believing that America is the greatest place on Earth. And what do we get in return?

Nothing.

To make matters worse, being a resident in Japan gets us absolutely NO special privileges on the mainland. Which means that Ray and I, in the grand scope of the global world, feel pretty useless right now.

And to prove just how mad we were today, we chose to shop at Japanese Jusco, instead of the American base store, with our fellow Okinawan brothers and sisters. But, even they stared.

God bless America? Not today.