Reflections Upon the Southern USA By Norman Harris
INTRODUCTION I first visited the US in 1969 to sign a software marketing contract and then rapidly followed that with a 2-week tour from coast to coast (San Francisco – New York) on a market survey for a first-generation engineering design software. I have made regular visits ever since, rarely missing a year and several times visiting 7 times in one year, including a period of working for nine months in New England. I have been to the 4 corners of mainland USA, Washington State, Florida, Massachusetts & California, but missed a few desirable bits in the middle, regrettably like Chicago and the Grand Canyon. There is a stark contrast as you would expect between the major cities, such as New York and San Francisco, but an even starker difference with the bulk of the US - the wide-open spaces of small-town America such as the area I frequent most now - the South.
The South where everything is Darlin’, and someone’s heart is always being blessed. And I could add that wakes are held BEFORE the funeral, with the body available for viewing and which is invariably, a burial, with prominent, decorated cemeteries a frequent sight. The graves are carefully tended, and the decoration reflects the season with Christmas meaning changing the decoration before and after the celebrated day. The South encapsulates American Politics as defined in The Economist on 20 April 2013 - God, Gays & Guns. Also, from that issue the murder rate in the UK per 100,000 people is 1.2 whilst in the USA it is 5.0. Police violence is correctly critisced, but to give them their due there are more guns than people in the USA, so they need to be on their guard. THE AMERICAN GUN PSYCHE No writing on this aspect cannot mention the terrible mass shootings that occur at too often. There are
strong views for and against gun control. In the Newtown school tragedy, the deceased Mother of the shooter had 6 guns, why, with a possibly mental son. Although I am against guns I can accept a personal protection weapon and a hunter’s rifle, but assault weapons capable of hundreds of rounds a minute, no. Hunters shoot a deer but do not mow down the whole herd. Many of the shooters have been young, white, reasonably affluent kids. The best psychiatrist’s comment I heard was that mass murderers shoot up schools as it hurts their communities most. There are so many guns in the USA that severe gun control (which is unlikely) will take years to have an impact. Two million guns sold in November 2012, with more gun sales outlets that McDonald’s burger bars. So, tragedy will happen again and keep happening! The NRA (National Rifle Association) Conference held in Houston met in jubilation that even partial background checks on gun buyers had been defeated in the Senate. The BBC report showed even children of around 10, girls and boys sizing up guns. “Guns Save Lives” is a frequently seen sticker on bumpers. It seems most homes have a gun hidden away. The heat of the debate on gun controls would make most of the populations of the developed world incredulous. It is far too complex to set down all the twisted logic here. The phrasing of the Second Amendment is most vague except in that the US citizen has the right to possess a gun for self-defence. Protection against what is not defined. Although at the time of the Constitution’s drafting, there was no standing army, rifles fired one round at time and the enemy was us, Brits.
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