Many say that America is a land of opportunities. Whether this is true or false I don’t know! But what is for sure is the fact that although America may be a land of opportunities, they do not come on a silver plate. People really sweat it out! I am left wondering as to whether we really work or just pretend to work. Better put, we pretend to work and our employers pretend to remunerate us!Here, work is divided into hours and one must really work those hours in order to qualify for the pay.  Contrary to the Kinyarwanda saying that "abagabo bararya, imbwa zikishyura” (men eat and the dogs pay), it is the reverse here; men pay so that the dogs can eat! I am really amazed at the so-called "homeless” (equivalent to our mayibobo). These guys are literary in every city. What is amazing is that at the end of a given period – say a week or a month – they have to go to some designated offices to collect their cheques for being idle or workless! They are even provided with special shelter where they spend the night, and of course many "Soup Kitchens”, where they go for 3 meals a day.  As a matter of fact, if one is "killed” by hunger, that person gets arrested for committing suicide! How on earth can you starve when there is plenty to eat?  In addition to the food, some are even given assistance in all forms like rent payment, fuel vouchers, etc. As I observed, the rich are really taxed highly in order to support those that cannot support themselves. There is talk that the government will raise taxes for the most wealthy in order to manage the affairs of the state. This is a real case of "Dods Eating and Men Paying”!  In reality, America is a country of 50 sub-countries, each of which has its own legislature (or call it parliament), formulates its own laws and runs its own affairs. In other words, each state has everything of its own. Different states have different laws and taxation policies. In America, women may beat up their men with impunity but if a man dares raise a finger against the wife or child, all hell breaks loose! There is nothing like physical punishment. How I wish our fathers had grown up in America! My dad used to whack me at breakfast, lunch and supper! There is a friend of mine with whom we attended primary school, who would always come first or second – from the bottom. His father always canned him whenever we got holidays. Now, one day, his dad had to travel a day before the holidays. The night before, he canned the son and when a neighbour came to inquire what crime the boy had committed, the father said he was punishing him in advance as he would be away when the school report came!