[MarkL444]

Sorry I never read this forum so I'm not sure if this has been covered before. I personally don't care for politics in general but some things do interest me, and this figured to be the best place to ask this question since I'm assuming many of you are knowledgable about this and could help me out. Anyways...

Last week I am at a family reception thing after a funeral and I'm walking around with my cousin who is about 16. We walk past the area where all the flowers that people sent are displayed and I point out to him on in particular that was quite extravagent. The boquet was very large and had a few dozen red, white, and blue flowers all over. It was on a large stand and had a big ribbon going accross it but I can't remember what it said (the funeral was for a WWII vet). Now, I try to explain to my cousin how terrible this is. (Correct me if I'm wrong about any of this, these are just things I was told myself.) I tell him that there are countries where people are starving to death, that they have no food, no wealth, disease, etc....that in these countries you will find tons and tons of land that is bordered by barb-wired fence, and that inside of these fences are flowers are far as the eye can see. That Americans care so much about these flowers that they use up all the fertile land in other countries to grow them, and then ship them back here and sell them for $150 bucks a pot or whatever so that they can eventually die. I was just trying to explain to him how stupid and unnecessary it was that all of this happens. That the only reason it does happen is that people think it is the "right" thing to do. I guess consumerism gets to their head.

So really I have a two questions.
1. How accurate is the story I told? Does anyone have anymore specific information about it?
2. Can you give me more examples like this one? Just general things that Americans are superficial about like this I guess.

Thanks
Mark