In my 50+ years on this planet, I have noticed a few generalities about people from certain areas of the country. It seems to me that there are three places that seem to inspire a regional pride that goes a little farther than the typical “hometown” pride. Those would be Texas, California and New York City. I know NYC is not a state, but it has enough people and infrastructure to be one all by itself.
Quite a few people from these areas do tend to be proud of their home region and are often outwardly expressive of it. Californians tend to think of themselves as different from the rest of the country, and I think most non-Californians would agree that it is almost like another country. Texans feel this way and so do the people of NYC. It isn’t so much a feeling of superiority as it is a state of mind.
Now, I have never been to California or NYC, and though I would like to visit there someday, I know I would not care to live there, no more than I would expect a New Yorker to be happy here in central Texas. I find no offence when people from these other places brag a bit about their home or have a little attitude about it. Everywhere you go in this country there is local history and community to have pride in. Some people may get a little carried away with it, but I try and take that with a grain of salt.
The other night me and a buddy were watching TV and a guy on a game show was asked to tell everyone a little about himself. The first thing he said was that he was a New York firefighter. This got a round of applause from the audience, but I suspect that he would have gotten it anyway if he had been from Little Rock or Boise. People are more aware of firefighters and the job they do after 9/11, and I think that is a good thing.
Because he was a young man, my buddy says, “He probably wasn’t even a firefighter when 9/11 happened. Why does everybody think they automatically have to applaud?”
I thought, what difference does it make. There are lots of firefighters in NYC that were in town or on the job on 9/11 that didn’t have anything to do with the actual event at the twin towers. Do they deserve any less respect? Are they trying to hog the glory of the FDNY that was there and served or died that day? Hell, no! They are just showing pride in what they do and what organization they are part of.
That’s why I don’t take easy offense at people from NYC when they have to make sure you know where they are from. A lot of people would rather be a part of NYC than anyplace else in the world,and, quite frankly, don’t think too highly of people from somewhere else. Well, there are a lot of Texans who feel the same about their little part of our state.
If I had been in the audience when the young man told eveyone, with pride, that he was a New York firefighter, I would gladly have joined in the applause. Partly because I think a firefighter is a tough job and that young man may die performing it, but mostly because I think a lot of the job the New York city public servants did that terrible day. I know that there are assholes no matter where you go, and I’m sure that NYC has their share, but overall, I think NYC handled the tragedy well and should be proud of what they did.
What’s not to get? It’s math, not not rocket science. NoClueBoy seemed to think it’s unfair that WTC survivors received more money than OKC bombing survivors. I think he’s nuts to imply some kind of competition between tragedy sufferers, as if the victims in NYC received more money because NYCers think they’re “better” than everyone else. There was millions more in damage done on 9/11, it’s that simple. (Well, that and the government wanting to avoid lawsuits.)