Posted on 06/09/2008 7:08:44 PM PDT by Lowcountry
This past Saturday (6/7/08) my wife and I took our kids to the Statue of Liberty. They are 10 and 13 and it was their first trip to NYC. We took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and were to proceed on to Ellis Island.
Like most tourist, we were taking photos and helping others to take group photos as well. As we got close to the front of the Statue, we saw a young, 18-22 year old young man step on top of the wall separating the grassy area from the sidewalk which circles the statue. Below him stood his mother and father to take his picture. He posed for his picture, Lady Liberty directly behind him, with his right arm lifted and middle finger extended. He was clearly mocking the statue... and America.
I started to get mad and told my wife to look at him. As I started to walk towards the family, my wife begged me to go no further. I did not want to create a scene, nor did I want to argue with my wife. My heart was racing.
As I stood and watched, the mother (late 40's) was helping him pose and told him to curl his middle finger instead of holding it straight. As the mother, son and father all laughed, there was not a single person around who was looking at them or approaching in disgust. I could hear the family talking and laughing, but the language was not American. It sounded like a cross between German and Russian (is that possible?) My wife was trying to look away, so I walked close to the family and spat on the ground behind them in absolute disgust. They looked around but I was moving away. Then I stood and stared in my green reflector fishing glasses.
Again they started the pose. This time my 10 year old daughter saw him holding a water bottle between his legs at the crotch like he was peeing while giving the finger. My wife came up and said "let's go!" I said OK, just give me a second. I got a large loogy in my mouth, walked up and spat in the middle of them, took three steps back and stood and stared. They looked somewhat shocked and a little intimidated. I did not break my glare. They looked around as if someone might come and take me away. After about 15-20 seconds when that did not happen, they packed up their camera stuff and walked quickly away and got in the ferry line. The laughing had stopped.
Did I do the right thing? Could I have done something "more American"? I felt very angry about the way they came on our soil and mocked our most cherished symbol of Liberty and Freedom. Have you witnessed other acts of Euro punk desecration? How dare they do this and no American set them straight.
Many of the European tourists here are clueless, mealy mouthed bozos with no manners whatsoever. Excluding Brits and Irish, and with other random exceptions of course.
You absolutely did the right thing!!!!!
You done us proud.
He deserved to be punched out, but we all know how that would have ended for you.
I’m not sure I would have been as creative as you, my hats off!
No, you had to do something. No sense in getting arrested for these Eurotrash. I probably would have done something similar, and my wife would have been similarly mortified. Sigh
Wife or no wife, I’d have been screaming at them to go home. (But then I’m not married, so what do I know?)
You’ve done good! Kudos!
Good Job.
I would have told the to go back to there socialist craphole and never darken the land of America again.
Your response was much more moderate than mine would have been!! There’d a been a broken camera on the ground and people running from a screaming banshee, most likely.
It is a shame that many Americans have turn-coated and have the same immature thoughts and actions as these awful people. I think I would have made sure they were watching me and my family while I saluted the Statue of Liberty and/or the American flag, if there is one there. I may have even broken out in singing the Star Spangled Banner or some other patriotic American song. I know how you felt though, it is very maddening to someone who loves this country. Take care.
sticky keyboard, let me repeat,
I would have told THEM to go back to THEIR socialist craphole and never darken the land of America again.
you should have grabbed something white, stood right next to them and started waving it, while saying to your wife “Look Honey, I’M A EUROPEAN!!”
Thank you for doing what you could. All other alternatives would have landed you in jail.
All you did was spit? I admire your sense of self-control, I truly do.
Ultimately you did the right thing. You showed your outrage and disgust for them in a manner that was clear and assertive without being abusive and threatening. I don’t think anyone could fault you for what was a good balance of action/restraint.
You were more restrained than I would have been .
"You should have grabbed something white, stood right next to them and started waving it, while saying to your wife “Look Honey, I’M A EUROPEAN!!”"
I wouldn’t condemn you if you’d shot them.
At that point, my wife would most likely stop me from going further.
I'd be d____d if I let someone make lewd gestures in front of my family in the first place, let alone make lewd gestures in my children's presence against the country they are being brought up to love and respect.
BTW, I was born and raised in NYC. No native New Yorker ever goes to Liberty Island unless they are on one of the many school trips they will take to Liberty Island.
That's the only time I've been there. My sister-in-law went to visit the Statue and my father took her there - my father's lived and worked in NYC for almost 70 years. He hadn't set foot there since he was 12.
My point being: if there were any actual old school New Yorkers there, instead of tourists and wannabees, this family would have had there asses handed to them.
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