NYT: English, Irish, Scots: They’re All One, Genes Suggest

[starbkjrus]

Hmmm. I have to wonder if this thread will bring anyone together or if it will have the tendency to drive folks apart.

As someone who is a mixture of Celt, Angle, Germanic, Saxon and whatever else I do agree that the genetics of Great Britain are so well mixed that they will come across as similar. Goodness only knows what blood courses through my veins.

I do however IDENTIFY as a celt and more specifically as a Scot. I cannot deny that my ancestry is more mongrel dog than anything else. I really don’t think there are too many left that can claim pure celtic ancestry and I”m not even sure what that means.

This is NOT (read again NOT ) meant in any way political (as in our unique situation I’d really like to leave politics behind) but the political differences that to this day still exist in the British Isles may or may not have anything to do with genetics but more with location and arguements about such.

I don’t think that anyone out there can argue in 2007 that over the last eon all our peoples have mixed. That many of our differences began with Edward I and have continued across the rule of many different dynasties is incontrovertable. The reality is that the common man really doesn’t have an issue with his neighbors these days.

Ireland is divided over religion as were the British Isles for centuries. Can’t we put his behind us? Scotland and England are divided over politics that were put in motion by my own ancestors - the Stewarts - who were notoriously inept rulers.

Can we not just put all this behind us and come together for the betterment of the nation? Ok, I’m not a British citizen but for pete’s sake can’t we all work together without adding fuel to the fire by aggrandizing the “genetic” differences or similarities of our peoples??

For heaven’s sake, we have enough issues in the States and in Britain with the “melting pot” idea without having to go back 445 years to bring up old and quite frankly irrelevant “racial” differences? That was politics too.

[Hamish]

Hmmm. I have to wonder if this thread will bring anyone together or if it will have the tendency to drive folks apart.

As someone who is a mixture of Celt, Angle, Germanic, Saxon and whatever else I do agree that the genetics of Great Britain are so well mixed that they will come across as similar. Goodness only knows what blood courses through my veins.

I do however IDENTIFY as a celt and more specifically as a Scot. I cannot deny that my ancestry is more mongrel dog than anything else. I really don’t think there are too many left that can claim pure celtic ancestry and I”m not even sure what that means.

This is NOT (read again NOT ) meant in any way political (as in our unique situation I’d really like to leave politics behind) but the political differences that to this day still exist in the British Isles may or may not have anything to do with genetics but more with location and arguements about such.

I don’t think that anyone out there can argue in 2007 that over the last eon all our peoples have mixed. That many of our differences began with Edward I and have continued across the rule of many different dynasties is incontrovertable. The reality is that the common man really doesn’t have an issue with his neighbors these days.

Ireland is divided over religion as were the British Isles for centuries. Can’t we put his behind us? Scotland and England are divided over politics that were put in motion by my own ancestors - the Stewarts - who were notoriously inept rulers.

Can we not just put all this behind us and come together for the betterment of the nation? Ok, I’m not a British citizen but for pete’s sake can’t we all work together without adding fuel to the fire by aggrandizing the “genetic” differences or similarities of our peoples??

For heaven’s sake, we have enough issues in the States and in Britain with the “melting pot” idea without having to go back 445 years to bring up old and quite frankly irrelevant “racial” differences? That was politics too.

BRAVO! Oh, so well said, Dee. I am also part Celt and part Saxon (although I know nothing of my family, on either side, beyond my grandparents) and, like the majoirty of people in these British Isles, I consider us to be one united nation, and long may we remain so.

What happened in the past should remain in the past - and that should be the case the world over.