[krb]

"Oh, you're American." Then comes a barrage of questions and assertions about Bush and America's place in the world. If you can clear such political minefields, you find yourself with some friends for life, whose political attitudes about America do not extend to their opinion of individual Americans.

That's where we are different. That would be a filter for me. I long ago got tired of feeling like I was the only person who really understood the miraculous experiment in personal freedom our country is. Those blokes just don't get it.

If you are the type of person who takes this stuff personally (they make you cry?!?!?), then you need to move on.