Mainly, I guess what all of us should remember is that many tartans are now associated with a particular family or group, regardless of how that association originated, and some people take this very seriously, some to the point of believing in exclusive rights.

Does history or law back this up? Of course not, as several of our members have demonstrated. Do some people still have strong feelings about appropriateness of wearing certain tartans? That's just as obviously true.

An example of this feeling is how some members of a military unit feel when they see someone (outside of the military) wearing their distinctive clothing or decorations when the other person isn't "qualified" to wear them. In this case, although the feelings may be strong, there is nothing illegal going on (excluding a few outstanding cases).

As long as we wear a tartan with knowledge and respect, most people will not have a problem. But we must recognize that others will. That shouldn't stop us from wearing the tartan. But it should make us stop and think a little when we make our choices, and hopefully engourage us to educate ourselves a little more.