American Communities

Hi everyone,

Not gonna write a long speech again about Communities in America, let's just say it's the base of Am life... Many French families thinking they'd have a better life in the States fail if they don't know this!

I'm always amazed.
For exemple, these days we've got lots of postings on social networks:

TO HONOR THE FIREMEN SHOT AND KILLED ON CHRISTMAS EVE DAY. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE SNOW SCULPTURE.

( https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2698495678855&set=a.1024262784079.3369.1750539626&type=1&ref=nf ) 481 personnes aiment ça.. 3 692 partages.

Words cannot describe the emotions over the funeral services for past Chief Michael “Chip” Chiapperini. #WWFD #Firefighters

photo de RES11CUE ROCHESTER, NY F.D.
RFD HAZ MAT 1, being utilized to block WBC @ Funeral today. R.I.P. WWFD Firefighters.

( https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=443248365728789&set=a.102823536437942.4220.102497293137233&type=1&ref=nf ) 3 hours ago via mobile 303 personnes aiment ça..
132 partages.

We couldn't have this in France... In my opinion, due to too much social security...

gerardM a écrit:Hi everyone,

Not gonna write a long speech again about Communities in America, let's just say it's the base of Am life... .

Hi Gerard !

It is true that "communities" are the base of American life (Religious communitites, political communities...etc.). Lobbying is also done by many different types of people and organized groups. American people like to get together because they belong to such a huge country. They don't want to be on their own and they like to be part of a community. This is the reason why "emotion" is present everywhere because relationship is so important. Am I right ?

I have just come upon an interview of Liz Maccomb who is know as the Gospel Diva. She's someone with a lot of energy and when she sings, she fills the room with laughyer and with love.

gospel music has been overlooked as a major factor in the development of American music. Its influence can be felt in many music styles-jazz, soul, rhythm and blues, country-but many are unaware of the deep connection it shares with these styles

Music and singing express human emotions and Gospel is really American.

Hi Muriel,

Thanks for your comments.

MurielB a écrit:... American people like to get together because they belong to such a huge country. They don't want to be on their own and they like to be part of a community. This is the reason why "emotion" is present everywhere because relationship is so important. Am I right ?

I wouldn't say this way.
Nothing to do with a large country.
> they like to be part of a community
More than "like", they "need".
Am people don't have social security. They don't want the government to take their money and organize this kind of stuff.
As they don't have help from the gov, they organize help themselves. This way, they are less selfish. They help one another and this way, they get the happiness of doing/making/creating things together.
Communities are everywhere: work, church, any occasion in the street, on the Internet...

I learned what communities were when I became a member of an American forums: I did learn what this meant! True help!!
Atlanta - I remember a girlfriend of mine so easily speaking to our neighbors on the suburban train... I wouldn't have done this in France.
San Francisco - I remember my family-friend (born French) who demonstrated for their soldiers who was beginning the war in Irak while the French were refusing it. My friend was holding the Am flag to show, as a French lady, she was with the community and their soldiers... even if she was not completely agreeing, once the decision made, she was fully supporting the nation/community.

Let's say New Yorkers are a bit different, a bit less participating (many foreigners, more selfish).

Thank you Gérard for this explanation. I think it's an example for us. To overcome the crisis we will have to be like them and to help each other !

Hi Muriel,

Another example of the Am psychology:
This kind of announcement may be displayed by a few people in France but the difference is that it's done by lots of my American friends... in addition I posted myself to encourage people.

Thru this image, I can see a message to any American but also a better organization than in France: of course we've got the "Capitaine de soirée" (hoping it's generalized) but here, we can see AAA involved... Now, I ask the question: "is "Automobile Club de France" much involved? Throughout France? Yes I know that small organizations (outside the car domain) and regional "Automobile Clubs" do deal with alcohol issue.

Hi Gerard

As far as alcohol is concerned it is becoming better in France but we can improve can't we ?

Muriel,

We have to improve situation in France.

I don't know what the involvment of "Automobile Club de France" is.
Please could you tell me what you think. I have the impression they don't organize driving back drunk people, do they? I think this driving back is organized by local associations of France.
Is "Automobile Club de France" interested in trying to lower car accidents?? What do they care with then?

Gerard !

I only know that in France people are advised to check that the people who will drive can do it safely. The cafe-owner is criminally responsible if a drunk customer drives and has an accident. He must prevent drunk people from leaving his café when they are drunk.

I don't know anything about "Automobile Club de France"

Hi Muriel, hi everyone,

Did I miss something?
You just replicated a previous message, did you want to add anything?
(you might just want to fix a glitch in that old message and clicked Quote instead of Edit)

You are right I wanted to correct a mistake and I clicked "quote" instead of "Edit" thank you, I will delete this post

Hi everyone,

Has everyone understood what American communities are (a key-point in the American society)?

Hi everyone,

thank you, Gerard, pour your explanation.

However, I think that, even in a small country like France, you can feel alone if you don't belong to a community. It can be your family, your friends, but many people belong to an organized community to feel shelted or for a social purpose. Of course, they are not completely free, they must enforce their law. But freedom is in the choice to belong or not.

Hi Remy,

I do agree with your words.

However, Communities are a need for Americans as they don't have many subsidies by the government - they are very reluctant and prefer to organize their lives themselves.
Americans prefer to feel free and responsible and not on welfare.

In France, we like associations and communities that we can choose, or not. Many domains are organized by the government (Social Security, vacations, retirement pensions, etc.) when they are not in the USA (these domains are organized in Germany and the UK as well ie it's not a saxon/latin split but rather Europe/New world).
In the States, communities belong to their characters and lives. You might have noticed they help one another immediately in case of a catastrophe... they easily give their money.
Communities are more present in America than in France, 3 points:
- many French families could never get integrated in America though they wanted to emigrate there, that's very often because they didn't realize how important/mandatory communities are
- Americans are ready to pay when it is deserved: on a security forum, a user was anxiously searching how to pay to thank the helpers (computer virus infection cleaned) while it was totally free (owned by a German guy) and the American really felt uncomfortable
- when Americans come to France, they leave a tip at the café or restaurant though the "service" is included in the price.

Hi Gérard,

I understand this way of thinking; even if I prefer the european system.
When I go to the restaurant, I always give a tip (except if the waiter or waitress is unpleasant), because I know that they work a lot of hours which are not paid. However, they keep for themselves the tips and the cook gets nothing. It's not fair. That's a survival of the past , when waiters were paid only with tips.

Hi Remy,

As you know it, decades ago in France, waiters were paid by tips only as it's presently done in most of the countries (UK, USA...). The French government instituted the "service compris" system (as written at bottom of the menu and rate board).
As you may know, tourists often complain about non smiling, not nice waiters and waitresses (at least in Paris) in cafés and restaurants though France is the world's touristic country #1.
They also complain about salespersons in our shops.
Americans have a joke which says Paris is a wonderful city but the issue number one is that there are Parisians.

The French governments tend to avoid the increase of the gaps between France and other European cultures. So, they recently asked the café/restaurant owners to increase personnel paiements in exchange of a VAT decrease (governments hesitate to legislate to avoid the splits b/w countries).

Last point: is automatic paiement ("service inclus") the cause of the lack of smile of French personnel in cafés and restaurants and stores?

gerardM a écrit:

However, Communities are a need for Americans as they don't have many subsidies by the government - they are very reluctant and prefer to organize their lives themselves.
Americans prefer to feel free and responsible and not on welfare.
.

Hi remy, Gerard !
Ok but i just wanted to add a few things about communities (Groups) not just in America but in general. It's nice because it is friendly and you feel secure. Anyway it is important to pay careful attention. In a group there are always those who want to impose their views upon the others, those who want to have influence or power over the others. The group conveys certain ideas (Political, religious et.) and you lose your freedom of thought if you are all the time in the same group. personnally I'd rather belong to all sorts of different groups because I think it is very interesting to be with different people and to know all sorts of different view-points about life.
Poliglot cafe is just the group I like because it is open to everyone

Hi Muriel hi everyone,

We often hear from French media that we, French, are very fond of Associations and volunteering.

What do you think?

Hi Gérard ! I everyone !
I don't know if French people are fond of volonteering and associations compared to the other countries.

Muriel, tous,

True that sometimes French media provide wrong chauvinistic news.

Hi Gerard
What i hate most of all is "chauvinism". When i meet somebody from an other country I like to have positive thoughts. Everybody has something to teach me and it is true for volunteering. So long as it improves humanity it is good and each country organizes in its own way.
May be the media are more important in United states than in France ? It doesn't matter to me.

Hi

I think there are a lot of associations in France, really. But most of them are simple associations, without any idea of help; there are not communities.

Hi Muriel,

> It doesn't matter for me
As far as I know, you should write "It doesn't matter to me" (depending on the context, we can also find "about": ‘oh, it doesn't matter about him').

... as far as I know... that means I'd like to read words pointing out my mistakes.

Hi Remy,

> ... simple associations, without any idea of help; there are not communities.
Please could you write more about the differences between association and community?

gerardM a écrit:Hi Muriel,

>

... as far as I know... that means I'd like to read words pointing out my mistakes.

I will try my best though it is not easy

Muriel,

MurielB a écrit:

gerardM a écrit:Hi Muriel,
> ... as far as I know... that means I'd like to read words pointing out my mistakes.

I will try my best though it is not easy

I meant I wasn't definitely sure and anyone was invited to demonstrate I was wrong.