"You have tornadoes in this country, we have graveyards" - What is meant by this statement?

Hello friends,

I am hoping someone can explain what the following statement means. Let me give background. A friend of mine told me about an experience he had when a friend of his from Poland was visiting in the United States:

"This is what my friend from Poland said to me after we witnessed a tornado in Colorado. She said, "You have tornadoes in this country, we have graveyards.""

My friend says that every time he tells this story to someone here in the US, their response is the same: "I don't get it."

I understand the long history of war and destruction in Poland, but to us Americans, any analogy between graveyards and tornadoes is a mystery.

Can anyone give some insight?

Thank you,

Greg

The US has more tornadoes than anywhere else in the world. Perhaps she simply meant the phrase as some sort of comparison, that graveyards are very common in Poland given its history.


Just as an example, Poland lost about 20% of the pre-war population.

It's an oblique reference to wars....

in place of 'graveyards' put the words 'Germany' and/or 'russia'....

I don't get it either, to be honest... I mean, it's possible that it's what mafketis wrote - "an oblique reference to wars", but it's a strange thing to say... I've never heard any Pole making such weird comparisons and, personally, I wouldn't make it myself... 🤨

It reminds me of the saying: Polish history is marked with crosses, meaning the ones on graves.

The comment on the tornadoes means that natural disasters which regularly afflict the USA are a banality compared to what happened to and in Poland through centuries. E,.g, death camps were located by Germans in Poland, not the USA.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my question. I feel that each of you has contributed something to my understanding. I will email a link to my friend as well.

-Greg

I hope we did. :):):)
However, your search shows the difference between Polish and American styles of thinking which are at odds with each other. Poles, similarly to Jews, focus on the past. While Americans focus on the future. That is why the comment on tornadoes by that Polish female visitor wasn`t understood by Americans.

Which approach is better???? A good topic for a long discussion. :):):)

I think it can be understood in terms of: Poland has few natural disasters due to having human disasters. Resulting in said graveyards.

U.S.A have very few dangers from other human being due to it's borders having Mexico and Canada mainly as bordering countries. While receiving natural catastrophes and internal turmoil.

I'd tend to agree.
What countries such as Poland or Germany, in fact, most of the European continent have suffered in terms of war, malnutrition or the like, the States have suffered more in terms of natural disasters, floods, earthquakes, not to mention mass shootings on the manmade level.

In terms of the first part, Mr. Grunwald's absolutely correct.

This comparison doesn't make much sense.

A little like answering the question What was the weather like last weekend?? with "I collected a lot of mushrooms in the local forest." :):):)

@Alien, I didn't come up with the phrase, I was merely answering Missiontiger as best I could.

Contrary to appearances, this answer makes a lot of sense. It informs that it has rained a lot recently, but this weekend it did not rain and you could pick mushrooms.

Yes, but it is clear to people who collect mushrooms. While lay people know nothing about how the weather affects the activity so the answer will be lost on them. Similarly, that was the case in that tornado/graveyard comment.