# Misconceptions about USA **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 19, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510 "2003-09-19T00:33:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/281 "2003-09-28T15:42:23Z")
Mommy Mommy I hate walking in circles! Shut up or I’ll nail your other foot to the floor! I have days when I think this isn’t as cruel as it sounds!😃 Speakin as one of them durned non Christians I celebrate Christmas because it has lost any remaining shred of religious significance in a lightening blitz of toy advertising and goofy decorations. Lets face it, it really is a commercial holiday made for and by the makers of children’s toys. Same as Halloween isn’t about appreciating our ancestors anymore… its about CANDY! > [@](#): > > Originally posted by spogga > Oh come on! random exploring isn’t going to provide all and sundry with an ordnance survey map is it? > Again given the sheer size of the USA these random explorers are going to have to be pretty good at map making and writing as well as having damn good memories. Well how were they supposed to get ordinance maps if SOMEONE didn’t go out exploring and draw them? John Wesley Powell and the United States Geological Survey mapped a good deal of the Utah/Colorado area in the late 1880s IIRC. Took some fantastic photos of the area as well. No history? Of course we have history … and prehistory up to our ears! _spent two summers on archaeology surveys in the 80s_ ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/282 "2003-09-28T15:53:14Z")
Mommy, Mommy! The dog has an eye infection! Shut up and eat around it! The transatlantic flight from Berlin to New York City was about to make a crash landing in the waters just off New Jersey. The pilot, in a thick German accent, instructs the passengers on what to do for maximum safety. Then he tells them, “Everyone who can swim, please exit the plane via the doors on the right. The plane should come to rest with the right side facing the shore.” Murmers of understanding make their way to the pilot. He continues, "Those of you who cannot swim… Thank you for flying Lufthansa Airlines!" ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/283 "2003-09-28T16:53:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Broomstick \* > **First of all, I don’t know how _you_ define “significant” but 1 in 10 or 1 in 8 is a noticable part of the population from my viewpoint, particularly if you live in an urbanized area with a higher percentage of non-Christian in the vicinity.** Significant has to be at least 30% for me. Just my own personal line. > [@](#): > > **And I find it _really_ hard to believe that _half_ of this group is atheist. Between the Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddists, and Pagans… well, that’s a lot of folks. Although I’ve learned that some folks have some pretty odd definitions of atheists.** How many Muslims do you think there are outside of a few urban centers? Not many. > [@](#): > > **Maybe it’s just because I live in an odd area, but I’d say easily a third of the people I know don’t celebrate Christmas, at least not as a religious holiday. There’s a lot of social pressure to give gifts and so forth at that time of the year, but that’s not quite the same as religious holiday focused on a particular day.** Ah, but that’s not what we were talking about. If you are gathering together and giving gifts and having fancy dinners and such, I’d call that celebrating Christmas whether you went to church or not. Hence my assertion that most non-Christians still celebrate Christmas. > [@](#): > > \*\*I do note you’re from Virginia - perhaps your state/region is more heavily Christian than mine. \*\* Possibly. I wasn’t relying on Virginia statistics though. I was using the _2000 Statistical Abstract_ which is for the entire country. [Scroll down to section 75. (It’s PDF, btw)](http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/statab/sec01.pdf) Although, I did make a mistake that I just caught now. I was using the wrong year’s data. For 1999 it was about 83% Christian. So you’re right about it being a significant portion of the population. Although, I’ll still say that only about 10% don’t celebrate it at all (my guess is that most of the 8% of the population that is atheist still celebrates Christmas in a secular way). Another interesting tidbit - while about 85% of the country is either Christian or Jewish, only about 43% of the population attends church or synagogue. And if that includes folks going to temple or mosque or what have you, then it’s an even bigger discrepancy. Fun facts from the US census. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/284 "2003-09-29T00:39:30Z")
> [@](#): > > “You Americans have no culture, because you have no history.” Yeah, America has no culture. That’s why so many French are worried about kids having too much contact with Disneyland, Mc Donald’s, and English in general. It’s because there is no difference between “American culture” and “European culture”.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/285 "2003-09-29T09:59:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > Significant has to be at least 30% for me. Just my own personal line. > > How many Muslims do you think there are outside of a few urban centers? Not many. Well, I grew up around Detroit, which has the highest concentration of Arab Muslims in the US (also has a high number of Christian Arabs, too). And I live outside Chicago, which also has a fair number of Muslims. Obviously, geography plays a role here. > [@](#): > > Ah, but that’s not what we were talking about. If you are gathering together and giving gifts and having fancy dinners and such, I’d call that celebrating Christmas whether you went to church or not. Hence my assertion that most non-Christians still celebrate Christmas. So… Channuka=Christmas? Eid (the post-Ramadan holiday which, I believe, falls in early December this year)=Christmas? You’re right, there’s a lot of gift-giving and feasting going on that time of year, but that’s hardly just a Christian tradition. The celebration may fall on the solstice, or the New Year, or the date from some other religion. That, of course, is why there is such a proliferation of “non-denominational” “holiday cards” in the Hallmark stores. It may have started as a religious day for Christians but it has become a secular culture event. And let’s face it, for the majority of “Christians” it’s become a largely secular holiday. Sure, there are still some to whom it is a deeply meaningful religious event, but they’re the minority compared to the “Christmas and Easter” Christians who see the inside of a church maybe twice a year. I have to question just how many Christians are true believers rather than going through the motions. But that’s a different thread, probably. > [@](#): > > Although, I did make a mistake that I just caught now. I was using the wrong year’s data. For 1999 it was about 83% Christian. So you’re right about it being a significant portion of the population. Although, I’ll still say that only about 10% don’t celebrate it at all (my guess is that most of the 8% of the population that is atheist still celebrates Christmas in a secular way). Well, yes, but to my mind if it’s “secular” it’s not Christmas, at least not in the religious sense, but rather the “Holiday Season”. As I mentioned, a number of religious have holidays this time of year. But that’s getting into hair-splitting. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/286 "2003-09-29T11:32:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Broomstick \* > **So… Channuka=Christmas? Eid (the post-Ramadan holiday which, I believe, falls in early December this year)=Christmas?** No, that’s not what I meant. > [@](#): > > \*\*Well, yes, but to my mind if it’s “secular” it’s not Christmas, at least not in the religious sense, but rather the “Holiday Season”. As I mentioned, a number of religious have holidays this time of year. But that’s getting into hair-splitting. \*\* This is what I meant when I said non-Christians still celebrate Christmas. I was talking about former Christians now atheists, which is what I should have put in the first place, I guess. And while many other religions have holidays that time of year, if you’ve got a tree, getting a family together and celebrating the secular version of Christmas, that’s still Christmas. And I know plenty of people who don’t step foot inside a church, but still do the whole Santa thing (like me). It’s still celebrating Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![richardb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/96bed5/32.png) [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/287 "2003-09-29T13:31:10Z")
**Spectre of Pithecanthropus** , you’ve got me curious, trying to figure out what area you are in. My guess would be the Fairfax district… you said two art theatres: one would be the Fairfax and the other maybe the Music Hall? Or the Fine Arts? Or are you closer to West Hollywood, and the second theater is the Sunset 5? These four “art” theaters are all within 10 minutes of each other by car, so living halfway between any two of them would make them both walking distance. Of course, closer to the Fairfax than any of those is The Grove multiplex (which occaisionally does show an independent film or two) next to the Farmer’s Market, so maybe I’m way off base. Los Angeles has many areas that are essentially “self-sufficient” where you could get most of all your daily needs within walking distance. The Fairfax district, West Hollywood, and Santa Monica all come to mind. Of course, just because you could get by without a car doesn’t mean anyone would really want to. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/288 "2003-09-30T18:57:44Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by Broomstick_ > Well, yes, but to my mind if it’s “secular” it’s not Christmas, at least not in the religious sense, but rather the “Holiday Season”. As I mentioned, a number of religious have holidays this time of year. But that’s getting into hair-splitting. Well, you’re wrong there. I’m an athiest, as is the whole of my immediate family, and we celebrate christmas. We have the tree and the food,a nd the presents and the crackers and everything. Just no Jesus and no church (I think our way is superior, really). I can’t imagine that my experience would vary too wildly from that of many an American athiest. ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/289 "2003-10-07T12:28:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\*If you’re talking about the films where you see a long line of wagons lined up, and then someone shoots a gun and they’re off like they’re at the races, then I think that would be the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. The Indian Territory in Oklahoma was opened to white settlers. These settlers lined up at the borders and waited for the signal to rush in to claim their homestead. The hurry was because each wanted the best parcel of land. I have not researched it at all, and it may be an Urban Legend; but I’ve heard that the phrase “jump the gun” came from the Oklahoma Land Rush when some settlers took off before the gun was fired. (Of course, the phrase could have oiginated in any number of racing events.) \*\* I’ve never heard that the phrase “to jump the gun” came from this practice, but yes, people did “jump the gun” during the land runs, it’s not an urban legend. If memory serves, though, most of the dishonest types didn’t jump the gun, but ventured into the land designated for the land run ahead of time or via an alternate route that allowed them to get there early. They were called “sooners” and Oklahoma’s state nickname is The Sooner State. Yes, indeedy, our state is nicknamed for cheaters. It’s been a long time since I saw _Far and Away_, but as I recall, Nicole Kidman’s character’s parents were sooners. It’s also interesting to note that there wasn’t just one land run, there were [five](http://www.poncacity.com/ponca/history/land_run.htm) of them, although the one on April 22, 1889, was the first, largest, and most famous. The one depicted in _Far and Away_ was actually one of the later ones (the 1893 one, I think). Sorry for the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/290 "2003-10-07T18:28:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by E. Thorp \* > When I lived in France for a year (I’m American), many people were surprised that my last name was of German origin. The thinking seems to be that since Americans speak English, they must have English-sounding names. French people I met (other nationalities too) were surprised to hear how much German immigration to the USA there had been in the 18th and 19th centuries, and consequently how many German names. The racist assumption that “country”=“ethnicity” is far too common in Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/291 "2003-10-07T19:18:55Z")
Just wanted to comment on this… > [@](#): > > More likely, if you’re in North Carolina you’d go down to Atlanta, Georgia to catch a flight going abroad. …and in general the misperception that Charlotte is backwoods. First of all, Charlotte has direct flights to London, so there is no need to go anywhere to catch a flight going abroad. Charlotte-Douglas International is the main hub for US Airways, and is one of the largest and busiest airports in the country. Plus, if money and banking are important, Charlotte beats out every US city with the exception of New York in banking assets. It headquarters some of the nations largest banks, including Bank of America (which many moons ago was North Carolina National Bank). It also has a darn good NFL team this season! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510.md?page=14)