I was helping people register to vote...
When I asked one woman, about my age, if she was registered, she said she couldn’t vote because she was from Switzerland.
Reflexively, I said, “Oh, I’m sorry.” Sorry to waste a second of her time, sorry she wouldn’t be able to vote in what truly is an exciting election.
She laughed, and answered, “You don’t need to be.” The implication was pretty clear. She was quite happy not to be an American citizen. In her mind, there was something seriously wrong with America.
I had to think for a second before responding. On one hand, my country had just been disparaged. It was sort of like a house guest saying your place is a mess. On the other hand, our place is a mess—at least in many ways—and the rest of the world knows it. I answered, “Give us a few years.”
She smiled—and I think she agreed with me. The U.S. has had a few rough spots. We’ve done a few … Un-American things. But with a few years work, we could get things back on track. We could reclaim a position of global leadership on a host of different issues. If I ask the somebody the same question in 2012, perhaps the response will be different. The response will be less smug and more wistful. Visitors will want to be Americans.
