Deserving a Fresh Start —Cagle

SPEAKING OF EUROPE: I’d like to take this opportunity to vouch for the reputation of Americans. On the world stage, we’ve been called “ugly” for various reasons: our nation’s politics, inability to speak foreign languages, etc. But, apparently we’ve set the global pace for manners.

At a buffet dinner in Germany that featured journalists and guests from more than 50 nations, several U.S. and Canadian folk returned from the buffet line shaking their heads. Apparently it is not out of line to cut in front of people, or even bump into them, without as much as an “excuse me” or an apologetic nod. And this wasn’t an isolated incident; oafish behavior was prevalent throughout the night.