The Importance of knowing the Rules of Kilted Fashion

[Jock Scot]

DWF11

I was concieved on Skye,both parents part Scots, born in Cheltenham England,spent the first seven years of my life in Scotland being looked after by my grandfather whilst my parents were away during WW2,went to school in England until I was 18,went to Sandhurst,served in an English regiment,retired, went to the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester England, Took over my father's English farms and inherited my grandfather's patch in Scotland where I live for most of the time now. So, no US connection there.

I hope you don't mind me saying that some,a small minority, give the impression that as they are American they can do what they like when they like and to the devil with anyone else and that was the point I was trying to make.I know that most of you are not in the least like that and I am proud to say that I have many American friends. Every country,including the UK,has an arrogant and ignorant part of the population,but it never hurts to remind ourselves of that fact from time to time, even if it "treads on a few toes" whilst saying it.

All the very best,
Jock.

[DWFII]

I hope you don't mind me saying that some,a small minority, give the impression that as they are American they can do what they like when they like and to the devil with anyone else and that was the point I was trying to make.I know that most of you are not in the least like that and I am proud to say that I have many American friends. Every country,including the UK,has an arrogant and ignorant part of the population,but it never hurts to remind ourselves of that fact from time to time, even if it "treads on a few toes" whilst saying it.

All the very best,
Jock.

Jock,

I don't mind and I don't take offense...not only because I firmly believe that these discussions are more like intellectual calisthenics and will never change the world nor even someone else's mind; but also because I am not a person who takes offense easily and I understand that you meant none. I sincerely hope that you, in fairness, will understand that I am basically just thinking "out loud" here and do not intentionally mean to offer any offense, either.

That said, I also have to admit that you are probably right about some Americans...maybe more than some. I don't harbour any false pride but neither do I bear any rancor towards my country or countrymen. We are what we are and as Panache implied, a lot (maybe most) of it is noble and good.

And viewed objectively, we are not so different from any other people or nation. As an example...for over a hundred years the British had the attitude that "they (could) do what they like(d) when they like(d) and to the devil with anyone else" and, I might add, there were no small number of Scots as a proportion of the population of the Empire that helped enforce that dictum.

Nor are we guiltless with regard to marketing our most valued treasures and hallowed traditions. The great battlefields of the American Civil War are slowly being lost to strip malls and other commercial ventures. Never mind that they are what Shelby Foote called the "crucible of our nation"...they might as well be tat shops.

I make no apology for being a "traditionalist." I do what I can and try to be as respectful and as true to traditions as I can...for the simple reason that traditions are the fingerprints of history. And like fingerprints, when you wipe them out, or put them aside, or try to forget them, you lose a large part of what gives your culture (and yourself) character.

That's the way I feel about it. I'm just one person, however, my words are not written in either stone or blood and my opinions ...like everyone else's here (despite fervid beliefs to the contrary)...are just so much dust in the wind.