CROSS SECTION
If you had a welcomed guest from another planet and you wished to show him, she or it an accurate cross-section of the American people, what one place would you visit to get your best look at the real American?
We seem to be in a phase of our existence right now in which we are evaluating ourselves in many ways, especially in relation to potential peaceful existence with other nations. If you had to select one place, over all others, where you could get the best and most complete view of what the American people really are today, where would you turn? What one location in these State United would illustrate the complexities of our social system and show the best cross-sectional sample of what constitutes the citizenry of this Land of ours?
Right. You would turn to a place where a great many people gathered. Certainly, sports events get more people together in one place at the same time than any other event. Choose that site and you have a goodly number of sports fans and fanatics and the same limitation would apply if you selected your nearest Big League Baseball diamond with all stands loaded.
You might think, then that one of the marches on the nation's capital might - with their “millions”of participants, but r that is only a partial count of a group of protester, petitioner, or special problem people. The high count does not assure us of seeing a full version of the American people.
Unfortunately, you would not go to your your favorite place of worship to find the most complete group representing all elements of American life. Think of every place you go in your busy life and choose one which you would nominate as being the place you can see the best overall representation of Americans.
I made my choice a few year or so, and I have yet to find another site which equals it in getting more types of typical Americans together in one location. That's true even of close competitors in the same occupational field. If you - and your inquisitive guest – spend a hour so there watching - you will see the rich, the poor and the in-between earners, you will see men and women' girls and boys, you will see well-dress individuals, slovenly attired geeks, nerds and - even some left-over beatniks from previous decades. You will meet teachers, students - the list is virtually endless!
One place seems best of all if you wish to see the most complete cross-section of Americans.
Visit any Wal-Mart parking lot.
A.L.M. September 17, 2003 [c425wds]
