National pride and prejudice

Some say that the Scottish race suffers from short arms and deep pockets, and not infrequently the Scots must endure slurs to that effect. But we are a proud people and normally allow such insults to fly away over our heads without response... unless perchance we have been sipping a little too much uisce beatha, the water of life, Scotch whiskey. The Scots also invented the glorious game of golf, but apparently some do not appreciate this special sport. Mark Twain, for instance, apparently pronounced "Golf is a good walk spoiled". Obviously everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion... even if it is entirely erroneous.

The Dutch have a reputation for being very stubborn. They believe that "if you're not Dutch, you're not much". Others have been known to use the expression about the Dutch, "Wooden shoes, wooden head, wouldn't (wooden) listen". And then there are Dutch treats. Who said that Scots are cheap.

Of course there are the Irish. They believe in little green men and have a very strange sense of humour. They too manufacture whiskey... but it sure ain't Scotch. They also claim to have invented the bagpipes, although lord knows why anyone would wish that honour bestowed upon themselves.

There are similar stories to be told, and insults traded, between the peoples of many countries, and there are so many nationalities now represented in our own great country, that these opportunities to be prejudicial continue.

But wasn't it great to experience the extraordinary up-swelling of Canadian patriotism at the recent Vancouver winter Olympic games?

Perhaps you have noticed that many Canadians use hyphenated names to emphasize their heritage by adding a prefix to denote the country of their birth or that of their ancestors, to the term Canadian? Or rank themselves in generations, the more the better? I suspect, when push comes to shove, that we are nearly all proud Canadians at heart (with the possible exception of some Quebecers), and perhaps the significance of that unnecessary prefix will fade with the passage of time.

I'll drink to that. Cheers!  Proost!  Slainte!