The Ryder Cup of 2012, held in
Illinois, can be read as payback for the European team at the expense of the
Americans because the latter had come back from the same 10-6 deficit to win at
the previous Cup. The Associated Press reported that the European
team’s “rally was even more remarkable, carried out before a raucous American
crowd that began their chants of "USA!" some three hours before the
first match got under way.” I can just imagine the looks on the Europeans’
faces amid the primal shouts some three hours before play. “Why are they doing
that now?
Should we get our few people in the crowd to start pumping their fists
in the air while shouting “EU! EU! EU! EU!”? I can just hear a German on the
team (if there was one) ask, “But what purpose would that serve?” A Brit would
interrupt to make his observation known, that he cannot take part in such a
cheer as it diverts from “hip hip!” and thus may interfere with being proud to
be British, as Maggie used to say. A Belgian of Flemish and Walloon parentage
(if such a thing exists) would try to split the difference in proposing that
the small crowd of European groupies chant “hip hip EU!” The Brit would
undoubtedly veto that one in a split second and the European team would be left
with having to listen to the primal chants of the Americans. Of course,
the warlike chant has no meaning in itself. Even a patriotic American would
wonder why in the midst of a fireworks show on July 4th young men
(16-25ish) suddenly feel the need to aggressively shout “USA!
USA!” as if the exploding
bombs (i.e., fireworks) were some signal known only to them that we were about
to invade another country. I witnessed this at a Fourth-of-July fireworks at an
upscale golf course in 2012. The chants seemed so out of place, coming out of
nowhere, that I could not help but wonder what was behind the impulsive act.
The full essay is at "USA!, Silent EU!"
The full essay is at "USA!, Silent EU!"