J
jerseygirl12491
Guest
I don’t know if this is in the right place, but I feel I need to get this off my chest.
The recent issue over Russia and Georgia is very controversial, with both sides very emotionally involved. I am not going to tell you my opinions here, or start some ‘new’ debate. What I cannot emphasize enough is the damage caused by shifting your anger from the Kremlin to Russians in general, or from Saakashvili to all Georgians. This is racism at work.
The grocery store where I work is a popular place for foreign exchange students. A few days ago was the last workday for Tatiana, a Russian girl who was only 21 years old; the very next day she was going back home.
An older couple came through the line, who I have seen at the Catholic church I attend, but I had never actually met.
They proceeded through to the end of the line, where they began to talk with the bagger. Tatiana had just lost something, most likely dropped in a customer’s bag, and so she was not beaming with happiness but of course not rude at all.
Anyway, the wife said to the bagger: “She’s nasty!” (I think she meant rude.) “What is she?”
The bagger said, “She’s Russian.”
The lady made a face, then said something else that I didn’t hear. It turns out that she said, “Well! Look what they did to the Georgians.”
The couple then went to Customer Service to complain.
Tatiana was very upset. Who wouldn’t be? It’s like going to Russia and having people criticize you, saying, Look what they did to Iraq. Let me reiterate that these people are VERY devout Catholics.
This was the lasting impression Tatiana will carry home of Americans. Every kind person who she met is forgotten under the weight of this single encounter.
I challenge those of you reading this to take whatever opinions you want. But Please do not categorize people into little national groups and apply your political opinion of their government to your judgement of a person who happens to live there. It reflects poorly on not only you, but your entire country.
The recent issue over Russia and Georgia is very controversial, with both sides very emotionally involved. I am not going to tell you my opinions here, or start some ‘new’ debate. What I cannot emphasize enough is the damage caused by shifting your anger from the Kremlin to Russians in general, or from Saakashvili to all Georgians. This is racism at work.
The grocery store where I work is a popular place for foreign exchange students. A few days ago was the last workday for Tatiana, a Russian girl who was only 21 years old; the very next day she was going back home.
An older couple came through the line, who I have seen at the Catholic church I attend, but I had never actually met.
They proceeded through to the end of the line, where they began to talk with the bagger. Tatiana had just lost something, most likely dropped in a customer’s bag, and so she was not beaming with happiness but of course not rude at all.
Anyway, the wife said to the bagger: “She’s nasty!” (I think she meant rude.) “What is she?”
The bagger said, “She’s Russian.”
The lady made a face, then said something else that I didn’t hear. It turns out that she said, “Well! Look what they did to the Georgians.”
The couple then went to Customer Service to complain.
Tatiana was very upset. Who wouldn’t be? It’s like going to Russia and having people criticize you, saying, Look what they did to Iraq. Let me reiterate that these people are VERY devout Catholics.
This was the lasting impression Tatiana will carry home of Americans. Every kind person who she met is forgotten under the weight of this single encounter.
I challenge those of you reading this to take whatever opinions you want. But Please do not categorize people into little national groups and apply your political opinion of their government to your judgement of a person who happens to live there. It reflects poorly on not only you, but your entire country.
