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Health & Fitness

I've Got Your Back But You Need to Help Out a Little

He was born in New York City to parents who began their life in the United States territory of Puerto Rico.  Like others in his neighborhood of Spanish Harlem, salsa is what he listened to and danced. Obviously the young man spoke two languages. In fact the skinny kid found he had a gift in his voice. That lead him to become a well known singer and actor who has amassed an estimated net worth of 40 million dollars. But still one singing event eluded him until recently.

Here in South America the news is spreading like wildfire. It has also hit the news in parts of Asia. American Twitter users had gone to their keyboards publicly demonstrating their stupidity. What they wrote have Latin Americans and others again shaking their heads at us. I did not see major American publications cover the story. NBCLatino did as well as some smaller publications like Asia One and Big News Network. BuzzFeed headline read, "Twitter Loses Its Damn Mind After Marc Anthony Sings 'God Bless American' for MLB All-Star Game." A columnist for the Houston Press did write something calling the social tweeters "bigoted morons."

 My first move was to double check to see if indeed the people mentioned in the news did spout these things. I was hoping to find an error that I could shove back in the faces of those denouncing Americans as not the sharpest pencils in the box. But no such luck.

However those comments found their way to many Americans as well as people from other countries who have taken to the system denouncing the actions and obvious lack of education and etiquette of those who pounded their keyboard with the tweets. One person wrote to them, "You are an embarrassment to the U.S. Please leave racist."

In taking a shot at our schools another person wrote, "Your tweet just goes to prove how bad your education system is."

Many of those publicly demonstrating their stupidity have either canceled their Twitter account or made them private. Chance Jones who had written of Marc Anthony, "Why the F**k (he used the entire word) is a Spic singing God Bless America," has kept his account. He continues profusely using that four letter word and is wondering why people think he should apologize.

@Trusso01 appears to now be tweeting under @russterrr01. The 16 year-old is using his age as an excuse for his ignorance. "I just made a dumb tweet. im a teenager."

Then again perhaps it is just part of his misguided plan to get women. On his media picture it says, "Females love assholes because assholes know how to keep them on check."

I wonder what his parents think of their son becoming an international poster boy for American ignorance and racism. Since his Twitter site is still up perhaps they are proud. After all where did the 16 year-old learn such manners. Or do the parents place the blame elsewhere?

In the sports world this is not the first time racial slurs have been made by Americans showing their ignorance. American born and participant on America's Got Talent, eleven year-old Sebastian De La Cruz sang the National Anthem at an NBA game. Some Twitter user wrote, "Why do Miami Heat fans got dirty Mexican five year olds singing the National Anthem?" Others spewed forth similar racial slurs.

Sports fans are not the only ones demonstrating what they don't know. I can't tell you how many times I have heard Americans ask if the people in Colombia speak Mexican. Really folks, come on, Mexican is not even a language.

It is sometimes difficult for me to explain that these Americans are a vast minority. Most of us are knowledgeable and respectful. But with the frequency of things happening like bombs at marathon races, shootings in schools, actions of most of our politicians and the way Americans keep believing that all Colombians are drug dealers, I sometimes wonder myself if the stupids are not gaining on the intelligent. Part of the blame must be put on the major American news outlets. Should blame also go to our schools and parents?

It crossed my mind to employ intelligent Americans to not just ignore these less-than-knowledgable people, but make a concentrated effort to educate them. Then I remembered a quote by Mark Twain. “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”

More writings by Michael (Joe) and his wife, Graciela can be found here.
Like us on Facebook: Michael & Graciela
Follow us on Twitter: @MichaelGraciela
To read this writing in Spanish click here.


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