the thread on Special Ed students and homecoming sparked a few burning questions about America I have always wondered, hoping some guys can explain a few things;
1. I get that you have Police Departments. For the most part these people are public servants, employees of the state or federal. But what is with Sherrifs and Deputies? From what I pick up, Sherrifs are just voted in? So a baker could technically become a law enforcement officer with no degree or academy training? And then they can handpick other people off the street to become deputies?
2. If you have the LAPD, who does all the policing in all your smaller sallelite cities and townships throughout say, California? Do police just get posted around their home state to different major cities and swap their uniform and badges?
3. The same goes for your judges and District Attorneys? They get voted in? By who? What kind of oversight is there?
4. I hear that things like EFTPOS and ATMs are still not in widespread use, that people even still use (and accept) personal cheques for day to day purchases? Can you not swipe your card, put your PIN in and pay for a can of coke and a mars bar at the local store?
5. Do people really wear stuff like chino pants and lace up shoes around the house of an evening or on weekends?
6. Why do you have basements? Are these just old houses, or do you not build straight up houses on solid slabs?
7. Why have you taken so many steps to striate your society? Having jackets to define team/club membership in highschools, Prom kings/queens, Unversity Fraternities, Lodges, Country Clubs, Class rings. Seems to many you have taken great pains to create your own institutions of aristocracy. Or is this just a movie thing?
8. Why do your tradies (bricklayers, concreters, builders, plumbers, electricians) always seem to be firmly planted in the lower class? Most tradies around here would earn twice as much as the average retail or white collar worker. Geez, plumbers are rich!
Anyway, hope you can help someone whose knowledge of American comes only from second hand knowledge and mass media. lol
Thanks!