Miss South Carolina Has Something to Say About Travel, if You Listen (Very) Carefully

More than three million people have viewed the YouTube video of Miss South Carolina’s response to her question at the Miss Teen USA pageant. Several million more, including Jay Leno, have taken pot shots at her for being either blond, South Carolinian, a “trophy-wife-to-be” or a combination of all three. These criticisms ignore the fact that she was responding to the statement that more than a fifth of American’s can’t locate America on a world map. Let’s get a closer look at that statement.

One out of every five Americans can’t identify their own country on a map. What’s going on here? Rather than add to the chorus of voices heckling Ms Upton, how about we have a serious conversation concerning why one out of five Americans can’t locate the United States on a world map.

I think this is a brilliant example of ignoring the elephant in the room with you. If one out of five of us can’t identify America on a world map, why can’t we? If some of us can’t identify America, is it safe to assume even fewer could identify Sweden or Thailand? And is it because geography bores us or because we’re poorly educated? Or is it something even more insidious than that?

When I returned to the States after having been out of the country for nearly four years I was alarmed to discover that the airport was operating at “Code Orange.” And that we had heightened security, real danger and an imminent attack looming–it could happen any moment. Shit, I thought to myself, I got to get out of this place! America’s a target and somebody’s got their guns pointed right at us.

Oddly, it seemed to me, other folks that I talked to had the opposite feeling. They didn’t want to leave the States because “out there” posed the threat. Insulation was the only form of protection they had. Have. Our threat level hasn’t moved down in well over a year. We’re still at an “elevated” threat level of “orange.” Arbitrary colors, arbitrary levels, uneducated citizens. The rest of the world may look on and laugh at pageant responses. I watch and wonder. What are we doing about this? Is it fear that keeps us chained to our cubicles, stuck in our homes and disinterested in keeping track of the reality of what’s happening in the world around us?

Our insulation, naivete, failure to respond quickly to changes in our world and beyond (think: global warming), produced Miss South Carolina. Not the other way around.

Now, what are we gonna do about it?*

*I grew up part of my life in North Carolina. You’ll have to cut me some slack.
Photo credit