To be honest and candid and hopefully non-controversial, I have always been amazed at how the average man on the street in UK discusses politics, social issues, American issues, healthcare, etc with the same zeal that American "men on the street" discuss sports or hunting. I think it is a legitimate observation that people in the UK are, by and large, better informed about their issues as well as anything AMerican (except strangely American baseball).

I would suppose that you could make the assumption that this makes them smarter, or conversely, Americans are dumber. I think this is not a valid assumption. When I travel, I do not make the assumption that "We do it right back home, and Y'all are all wrong here in ENgland." I personally think headlines in your Mirror, that to paraphrase, "How could 59 million people be so dumb?" is pretty insulting and stereotyping.

I do not like cooked greens like turnip greens, or collard greens which are a mainstay in the American south. I do like spinich and kale. DOes that make me smarter and the southerner stupid? I don't think so. I think it is a difference that not too many generalizations should be drawn from.

I am quite sure that the average American who voted for George Bush is a nice person that you would be happy to live next door to, to have your children play with theirs, that may be different but, doggone it, they are people just like you are. I am only writing this as an effort to try to bring out the information that wherever I go, I find that people are generally good. They are not evil, they are not stupid, they just see things differently than you may. I have seen bumper stickers with rainbows on them from the gay movement with the message "Celebrate diversity." Well I do, and it doesn't end with gays, blacks, Jews, Muslims, etc It means all people to me. Just an opinion.