I was in a gay pub in brighton, england the other night and was introduced to this young chap who looked at me accusatorily when he learned I was an American.

"Wait a minute," he said, turning one eye towards me like he just spotted evil incarnate, "you people teach creationism in your schools!"

Embarrassed doesn't nearly describe what I felt at that particular moment and I did my best to deflect his growing scorn. "No wait, I think you misunderstood," I did my best to defend myself "I'm really from New York City, not America, and we don't teach creationism in our schools there." I tried to dissasociate myself as much as I could. I then started worrying if I'd just damned myself more, I couldn't really remember if New York City schools were required to teach creationism along with everyone else.

"What kinds of religious zealots totally dismiss reason and science in their schools" he continued. "Americans are really insane. How dare you dictate your views onto the rest of the world. You really don't deserve to be the worlds super power."

I realized that I was in a loosing situation and there was no possible way I could deflect his scorn other than to agree with him (and he was right, after all). I did try to explain that it wasn't everywhere in the US, but that didn't seem to matter to him. He continued to rail on about the religious fanatics in the US and what a bunch of freaks they were.

Then the conversation took a turn for the worse (believe it or not). He mentioned that the only place in the United States he really wanted to visit was New Orleans. I asked "why? Because its been destroyed in a natural disaster and thats what the US really deserves?"

"No," was his dry response, "Because of Anne Rice's descriptions of New Orleans in her Vampire books. It just sounds so beautiful" He went on to describe his admiration for her and her writing. How he'd really connected with the books.

"Have you read her latest? She's writing about Christ now" I inquired.

"No, what? Christ?"

"Yeah, she's found religion and is now writing about Christ"

He just threw his hands up in disgust and walked away. I realized I had just yanked away the only redeeming thing about the US for him. I also realized I was doomed to be from that country that was nothing but a bunch of crazy religious fanatics.

The decline of the global good will towards the American People is well under way...