this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2024
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Because -- and this might be a hot take -- I don't think it should be socially acceptable to bring up a recent national tragedy as a fucking punchline
We've been voting. We're trying to get the rules changed and we're getting stonewalled by people who only listen to media that makes up reasons for them to hate things that would be good for the masses because it would be bad for a few people at the top and I'm sick to fucking death of people making fun of us for it and treating actual dying children as some sort of own. For Christ's sake, have some fucking empathy. None of us, not even the furthest-right conservatives, think this is okay, and we're trying to do something about it, and it doesn't help when you're like "haha look at all the dead children, isn't it funny how stupid Americans are"
Aguably, conservatives may not think it's ok but they're so scared of losing their guns (because their politicians say dems will take them so they can get elected) that conservatives consider dead kids an acceptable loss. If they didn't, more of them would vote for the party that wants to control who can obtain them.
Or, arguably even more importantly, conservatives argue that this is actually about 'mental health issues' but then subsequently refuse to do anything to improve mental health. So they don't even bother trying their own proposed solution.
You would think at this point that the US would have the most robust mental-healthcare system on the planet!
I wish I could say people were trying to stop school shootings in my area. I live in PERRY FUCKING IOWA, about a mile from the very school that was shot up, and all I fucking see from anyone around here is thoughts and prayers, wear a blue shirt, Perry Strong!!
It's embarrassing.
I do agree that we need more empathy. But that empathy can and should be used to have a better humour.
Because i can't stress enough how humour is important in dealing with tragedy. It's one of the greatest tool to overcome it.
That's why you also see American joking about it. Only their jokes might be funnier than European's because they know and emphasize better with the tragedy.
On the other hand, one thing we do share is trying to change without any or not enough results. That's something most countries know about in this day and age. Media and corrupt system is something European's deals with too.
So i get your anger, it's also good, it's a driving force for us to continue trying to change, however helpless we feel.
Americans: USA is the greatest country in the world. Behold our God given rights and freedoms! We're number 1! We're exceptional! U! S! A! U! S! A!
Europeans: Actually it's pretty arrogant to think your country is so much better than all the other. All countries have flaws and strengths. For example USA have problems with gun violence and healthcare.
Americans: How dare you make fun of our national tragedies! Can't you see we're suffering here? You're making fun of dead children! You MONSTERS!!
Not that's a meme. Which template should I use?
that's a nice strawman you've got there
Hahaha
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism
Hahaha
"I have a Wikipedia article about people who do this. I therefore conclude that all Americans do this."
Oh, I see where you got confused. When people say 'Americans do something' they mean 'most Americans do it' or 'significant portion of American population do it', not 'all Americans do it'. You see, countries are big and there are a lot of people in them and it very rare for everyone in a country to think exactly the same. That's why we usually focus on the prevailing attitudes that shape the country over the years instead of looking for believes shared by ALL citizens (because they don't exists). Currently over 40% of Americans believe that "God has granted America a special role in human history" and it was way higher in the not so distant past, that's why someone could say that "Americans believe it". Hope this helps.
No American I've ever met, online or off, believes this. Hope this helps.
"It doesn't exist in my bubble so the researchers are wrong".
"Some Americans believe this, therefore the Americans who don't and are actually trying to fix this Godforsaken country, and get upset when people accuse them of believing it, are hypocrites and crybabies who can't take criticism."
I know how you feel but you have to understand that the memes are not about you personally. We know that most Americans on lemmy are the cool ones. The ones that don't have guns and are not afraid of socialism. The memes are about the other Americans and, you know, we're just joshing. I though that's obvious, that's why I asked why everyone is suddenly so touchy about it. Usually the cool Americans are in on the joke. Now they are all sensitive about it. It's just weird.
Thank you for that. But I'm having a hard time believing that one comment from me reflects the feelings of "everyone"
Like I don't know if you've seen the rest of this thread but...