Dan Koch's reflection on our family trip to the UAE:
What I appreciated about the culture in the UAE is that they loved children and were not afraid to approach us as obvious outsiders. Here in the US I have long felt that maybe we had a complex of some nature and I just couldn’t pin what I meant, until now.
The complex I speak of is the level of superiority or arrogance we have in general as Americans. History speaks for itself for how we as Americans have treated those that are not of certain backgrounds. Do I think we have the greatest armed forces? Yes. Do I live in the greatest Country? Yes. I am proud to live here and am blessed. It isn’t about pride in one’s country. It is about how we are viewed elsewhere and how we present ourselves as a people.
From our trip to the UAE I learned a sense of humbleness from being different. Look at the some of comments I got from posting one picture inside the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This reflects what I am speaking of in a big picture. Ever since 9/11 I have seen the term terrorist evolve from Hans Gruber in Die Hard to anyone wearing a Kandara and Keffiyeh. This is what has been pumped into our brains from the Internet and television media. I am guilty for privately making jokes with many of you on many topics including this and am not above reproach.
I don’t get like this much because of my professional 7-5 job and I strive to remain politically neutral in order to not lose the public trust. I am going to cross that line for this case. Not everyone can go to the Middle East to learn life lessons as Libby, Joe, Lynn and I recently have. Here is my conclusion. We walk on eggshells within our own country, we throw eggs at others while simultaneously calling foul if one is thrown back. Here is the translation. The evolution of the education system, general association that anyone who wears a Kandara and Keffiyeh must be a terrorist and comments from overseas outlets on Ferguson and how dare they judge us here in America.
We lack many things here and I can’t change this Country and I can’t change Missouri. For those of you in Missouri, Tom Schweich’s suicide and the rumored and unconfirmed reasons behind it is another example. An outsider in the world of politics, wanting to make a difference in the State and rumored to be gaining momentum in the Governor’s race and one’s religious background comes up as a way to smear him and lose public trust. Yes, that is politics. It is also an example (if true) of the arrogance and nature our supposed leaders have that I speak of. Mr. Schweich was described in one article I read as genuine and humble. Those are qualities we need in our leaders. Someone pushed the wrong buttons and it led to the premature death of a person. Behavior like that is what we do here and it is embarrassing. Heck, behavior like that motivates me to run for governor just because I am an outsider and could or would drive people nuts for using logic and efficiency over looking better than someone else. I don’t care that I don’t have the legislative experience or that I am not an attorney which somehow in some eyes is a pre-qualifier. I also don’t have the funds or time to take away from work and my family to campaign across Missouri but dang it burns my hide to see this happened. I am surrounded by genuine and humble leaders in Platte County and I wish there were more as you move up the legislative chain.
I was not privileged enough to meet Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum or Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during our visit. Although it would have been an honor and a blessing to meet the aforementioned leaders and visionaries, I had the honor of meeting and interacting with the everyday public just as I get to do in making my living as a public servant. A gentleman at the Fish Market in Abu Dhabi approached us to ask how we like it in the UAE. We obviously looked different and this man didn’t hesitate to strike up a conversation and welcome us. A shopkeeper at the Central Souk greeted us and made us feel welcome and at home. Besides the awesome memories with my family, the welcoming nature I experienced and observed towards obvious outsiders is something I will now work on thanks to this trip.
