June 2001 Archives

On a personal reflection...

I don't have much accents in my English even though I spent the most of my first 24 years in Korea. This often puts people around me and myself in a bit awkward (?) place.

For example, at a wedding reception of one of my friends recently in Seattle, I was talking to one of the guests I just met at the reception. We were talking for a while and since she was doing a sociology research on Asian immigrants, I mentioned that it has been 7 years since I came to the U.S. Her response was, "Really? So did you attend an international school there?" No, I didn't, I said. An expression of surprise continued for a while.

Anyway, the thing is, because of my English and my shallow, but broad knowledge of some segments of the popular American culture, even some of my American friends seem to often forget that I didn't grow up here. So once in a while, I am often faced with a perplexed expression. On the same weekend, Sanjeev (who grew up here) and I were talking about something and he mentioned a children's story that every American kid should know about. I had no idea, and he looked at me funny. I had to explain that I didn't grow up here and there are certain things I have no idea about.

And recently I realized that not only this happens to people around me, but also to myself. Because I am not a typical Korean and I am fairly comfortable with English, I often seem to think that I would act as any American would. The thing is, I may not be a typical Korean, but I am not a typical American either. When it comes to my feelings and instincts, I am following what I am used to, a lot of which happens to be quite "Korean". Also I don't have any reason or intention to deny that fact. It's just that I am often surprised at myself for being such a "Korean" (whatever that may be).

Maybe I am having an identity crisis at the ripe age of 31. :p

Getting into a bit of a political mood, I guess. Just some of the things I noticed recently.

The definition of conservatists and liberals seem to be relative concepts that differ among places and times. While reading some of the message boards on The Motley Fool, I began to learn what the current American society seems to think of the conservatists and the liberals.

It seems to me, on a very coarse level, those two concepts are linked to the two major political parties. Among many characteristics, the most intriguing ones, for me, was the convervatists' view of the liberals being socialists (or "commies") with the idea of a bigger government and the convervatists being huge supporters of individual freedom and small governments.

I spent the most of my formative years in Korea. So, to me, conservatists are those who supports totalitarian, conformistic views in which the bigger governments are a good thing. And you would be a liberal if you were fighting for your individual rights.

Maybe I am confused (I probably am). But it just goes to say that even the seemingly straight forward terminologies can carry different ideas among different people.

So, Timothy McVeigh was executed by lethal injection today. Since I didn't closely follow his trial, I may be mis-informed, but here are some of the things I thought regarding the subject.

The Oklahoma bombing was a great tragedy and I can't begin to understand the feeling of loss of the families and friends of the victims. Although the prosecutors and the courts say otherwise, I can't believe that he acted alone. And I am not particularly for or against the death penalty.

However, to a man who is determined to become a martyr of some sorts and to his "supporters", can the death penalty really an ultimate punishment for his ultimate act against humanity?

Tough to say...