hate crime....

[Kid Cossack]

I guess it's something we Americans, or we Texans, or maybe just this Texan, have/has trouble understanding, the "racial" aspect of it.

I suppose I paint the race lines with a very broad brush, and I (or Americans, or Texans, or once more just me) never really thought of the Scots and English and Irish as different races---at least in the modern, bureaucratic, anti-discrimination type way.

Then again, when I was first in Central Asia, I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the distinctions between "nationality" and "citizenship."

My take on the situation is that it's just bad joss all the way around, from the English lassies taunting the pipe band to the official police reaction.

[slohairt]

I guess it's something we Americans, or we Texans, or maybe just this Texan, have/has trouble understanding, the "racial" aspect of it.

I suppose I paint the race lines with a very broad brush, and I (or Americans, or Texans, or once more just me) never really thought of the Scots and English and Irish as different races---at least in the modern, bureaucratic, anti-discrimination type way.

Then again, when I was first in Central Asia, I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the distinctions between "nationality" and "citizenship."

My take on the situation is that it's just bad joss all the way around, from the English lassies taunting the pipe band to the official police reaction.

Dia Dhuit!

That does seem to be a common consensus in North America I've noticed. Unfortunately, generalizing different cultures is not often a good thing. It can be especially insulting when one equates the conquered with the conquerers!

When asked at job interviews (or other situations) what additional languages I speak, I'll reply "Irish." Nine times out of ten, I'll receive responses like "what's that? I didn't know they had a language." or they'll make a joke of it saying things like, "top o' the mornin' to ye!"

Reinforcing racial/cultural differences is often viewed as negative, but it CAN be positive. By reinforcing your culture's differences with a neighbouring culture, you force people to actually learn something of it instead of subscribing to stereotypes.

But you're right, crying to the police about some girls making fun of you whilst piping? Man, I bet there were some laughs at the station that night!

On a related note, I remember a particular instance which happed to me: I was leaving my apartment wearing my saffron kilt and full regalia off to a wedding. A young black man said to me, "Where's your f**king bagpipes, h*mo!" (Beavis and Butthead-esque laughter then ensued from his cohorts.) I replied "Right where you left your bongo drums, brother!" He then got angry and said, "That was really racist!" Apparently the irony was lost on him.

DISCLAIMER: I, of course, have nothing but great respect for African cultures, and, as a musician, find their traditional drumming styles particularly fascinating.