Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Interview: Lewis Thompson, VP Sport
    • En Garde!
    • BUWRU Still on Top
    • Hidden Histories: With The Archaeology Society
    • Beabadoobee Concert Review: Welcome to Beatopia
    • Taylor Swift: Midnights Review – The Stories of 13 Sleepless Nights
    • Claire Concert Review: Claire Cottrill in Concert!
    • Is There Hope For Percy Jackson?
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Flickr
    Seren
    • News & Politics
      1. Local News
      2. UK News
      3. Uni News
      4. World News
      5. Politics
      6. Comment
      7. Business
      Featured

      SABB Election: The Full Result Breakdown

      By Emily ReadMarch 20, 20210
      Recent

      Redevelopment plans and the culture of Bangor

      October 28, 2022

      Immediate closure of Menai Bridge following reports of structural integrity issues

      October 28, 2022

      Racial abuse victim calls for harsher sentencing following nightclub assault

      October 28, 2022
    • Arts & Culture
      1. Books
      2. Games
      3. Film
      4. Music
      5. TV
      6. Creative Corner
      Featured

      Bangor alumni podcast earns Hollywood cameo & BBC features

      By Amelia SmithMarch 7, 20210
      Recent

      Beabadoobee Concert Review: Welcome to Beatopia

      October 29, 2022

      Taylor Swift: Midnights Review – The Stories of 13 Sleepless Nights

      October 29, 2022

      Claire Concert Review: Claire Cottrill in Concert!

      October 29, 2022
    • Lifestyle
      1. Fashion
      2. Food and Drink
      3. Social
      4. Health and Beauty
      5. Travel
      Featured

      Country Highlight: The Netherlands

      By Emily ShoultsMay 6, 20220
      Recent

      Gilmore Garms

      October 28, 2022

      Fleeces and Funk

      October 28, 2022

      Cheerleading: Getting your kit together

      October 28, 2022
    • Discovery
      1. Science
      2. Environment
      3. History
      4. International
      Featured

      Brewing up a Storm: The History of Guinness

      By Emily ReadMarch 20, 20210
      Recent

      North Wales Ramblings

      October 28, 2022

      Hamza Yassin: The Hard Work That Is Making Luck Happen

      October 28, 2022

      Student’s Union Hosts Repair Cafe for Sustainability Awareness Week

      October 28, 2022
    • Sport
      1. Varsity 2019
      2. Varsity 2018
      3. Varsity 2017
      4. Varsity 2016
      5. Varsity 2015
      6. Varsity 2014
      7. Varsity 2013
        • Varsity 2013 Results
        • Varsity 2013 – In tweets
      Featured

      Bangor Muddogs’ American Football: a young woman finding her place

      By Jade HillMarch 23, 20210
      Recent

      Interview: Lewis Thompson, VP Sport

      October 29, 2022

      En Garde!

      October 29, 2022

      BUWRU Still on Top

      October 29, 2022
    • Students’ Union
      1. Union News
      2. Societies
      3. Volunteering
      4. Clubs
      Featured

      INTERVIEW: Be Period Positive

      By Caroline CartmillMarch 17, 20210
      Recent

      Interview: Lewis Thompson, VP Sport

      October 29, 2022

      En Garde!

      October 29, 2022

      BUWRU Still on Top

      October 29, 2022
    • Issues
      • Current Issue
      • This year’s issues
      • Last year’s issues
      • Seren Archive
      • Seren Teams
    Seren
    Home»News & Politics»Flying the Flag: USA! USA! USA!
    News & Politics

    Flying the Flag: USA! USA! USA!

    Wyatt WarnerBy Wyatt WarnerJanuary 30, 2014Updated:January 30, 20141 Comment4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Wyatt2

    I was raised in the notoriously Democratic Washington state; the home of hipsters, Nirvana, and Microsoft. During the last election, we were not just one of the states to vote to re-elect Obama, but we also legalized recreational marijuana and gay marriage. Not only that, but my parents are biologists, so it was no surprise that I grew up listening to Bob Dylan and growing my own organic vegetables. I was as liberal as Barack Obama’s use of the word “folks.”

    So when, at age eleven, I moved to Enumclaw, a conservative farm town an hour away from Seattle, I got thrown into the deep end politically. Moving there was like moving five hundred miles south and thirty years into the past. The age of most of the cars was triple their gas mileage, and many of them had Confederate flag (the flag used by the South in the Civil War) stickers in the windows. I guess nobody told the owners that Washington is as north as you can go without hitting Canada.

    To make matters worse, I attended a high school that was a popular place for ultra-religious parents to send their kids so they could learn science from a Mormon. I was mortified when, in chemistry class, the incredibly smart teacher casually denied the existence of evolution and global warming. To my sheltered liberal mind, this was like claiming that gravity was a hoax.

    My classmates had more experience with guns than with black people, and thought that the Old West was America’s golden age. It wasn’t long before I started pushing back. I combated my fellow students’ homophobia by wearing eyeliner for a year, and got into debates about immigration and taxation with both my peers and my teachers.

    Incredibly though, I started making friends. It took a while, but we started realizing that though we were polar opposites politically, that wasn’t all of what defined us. While we couldn’t agree on whether or not Mexicans were ruining the country, we all admitted that the TV show American Idol definitely was. I even realized that despite his strange beliefs, my Mormon teacher was one of the best I’d ever had, and he personally supported me by writing a glowing reference letter so that I could get into Bangor University.

    When I moved on from high school to a community college in a different, more liberal Washington town, I found myself surrounded once again by the Democrats I had grown up with. While I still agreed with most of their ideals I was annoyed by the way my pot-addled pals never considered the other side’s opinions, completely missed the point of recent Republican legislature, and always started hacky sack circles.

    When I moved to Britain though, I was in liberal heaven. People in general are less intense about politics here, and having more than two parties means that they tend to vote more for the best candidate than for the “team” they’ve adopted. Plus, national health care, firearm restrictions, and the fact that you have Charles Darwin on your money were breaths of fresh air.

    That being said, every day it’s becoming more clear that I didn’t escape Enumclaw politically unscathed. When I was asked for ID the first time I tried to buy scissors in Morrisons, I just remembered the people I know back home with semiautomatic rifles and it seemed so asinine. When a friend told me about the regulations around knives, baseball bats, and even screwdrivers here, I was appalled that the government would interfere so much with the lives of their citizens. Plus, don’t get me started on freedom of speech (because I’d probably get arrested). I love Britain, and I love America, but I’m starting to see that every one in a while, my redneck friends got it right.

    America barack obama Bob Dylan Britain democrats evolution politics republicans seattle
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Avatar photo
    Wyatt Warner

    Related Posts

    Redevelopment plans and the culture of Bangor

    October 28, 2022

    Immediate closure of Menai Bridge following reports of structural integrity issues

    October 28, 2022

    Racial abuse victim calls for harsher sentencing following nightclub assault

    October 28, 2022

    1 Comment

    1. Matt on January 30, 2014 4:48 pm

      Your life wasn’t interfered with just because you had to be IDed to get a pair of scissors. Surely it’s better than kids running around potential weapons.

      Reply

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    MORE INFORMATION
    • ABOUT
    • ADVERTISE
    • CONTACT US
    • GET INVOLVED
    • MEMBERS
    Links
    • Bangor University Bangor University
    • Google+ Google+
    • Undeb Bangor Undeb Bangor
    About

    Seren is Bangor University Students’ Union’s English Language Newspaper

    We have editorial independence from both Bangor University and Bangor Students’ Union. Seren is written by students for students and we’d love you to get involved!

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.