What is it with the Yanks ? (and others, for that matter)......

If this is yours, then you're likely an American. If you have a different flag, then you're probably not American, you're something else....... So to the American's who claim to be something else, if you were born in the United States of American, or you have moved there, taken the test and obtained citizenship, then you're fucking American. You're not British, Irish, Spanish or any other fucking "ish" for that matter (you may be in the lucky position of being able to hold "dual-citizenship" - lucky for you then eh!). You tell an Irishman that you're Irish, he'll likely ask where you were born. If you say somewhere in America, you'll get told that you're a Yank or at least not a "proper" Irishman. The same in Scotland, GB in general and many (most ?) other places. We don't mind you being American. I have cousins who enjoy that privilege (?), but that doesn't mean, irrespective of common DNA characteristics, that they're like me, a Brit/English. Equally, it doesn't matter what your own DNA characteristics point toward, and skin colour or other physical characteristics just point you toward where your DNA has travelled from. You're still the Nationality of your passport! Personally I don't care where you are from. I will offer you the same manners and respect, as I expect to receive in response. I don't care where you're from. Yes, equally if your cultural background and experiences differ from mine, I consider it a privilege to learn of yours. I might not understand them or even agree with them necessarily, but that's not for me to say. They're different from mine and should be respected as such. I'm not prefect. I'm of an age where some rascist comments etc were commonplace, so they are in my vocabulary. That's not to say that I wouldn't be disgusted with myself if I used such words today. I would be. The only likely difference is that I might have different skin colour and other ethnic/genetic regional identifiers from you, but we're born in the same way, our basic bodily functions are the same, we suffer in a similar way to illness/disease and when we die, we end up the same way....... So you, my friend, just be happy with what it says on your passport. If your cultural and ethnic background enable you to teach me something, then I'm grateful for that knowledge/learning. It makes the world an interesting place. Equally if something in you, causes you to discriminate against me in some way, expect me to fight you in some way too.....