Cappy

[stephen]

(Points at Richard)

Yeah... him... what he said.

[stephen]

-the Sopwith Camel

-James Bond

-the Electric Light Orchestra

[Barrett]

A pal of mine who was born in the UK and grew up in the colonies (and is a HUGE admirer of Sgt. Tom Mottershead, VC, because they had the same home town) says this about the British:
"A race of pasty-faced poofters with bad teeth who never invented central plumbing and ruled half the world."
But they did invent:

iambic pentameter
the Arthurian legend
stiff upper lips
the SE-5, Brisfit, and Camel
Lancaster, Mosquito, and Spitfire
Victoria Moore (Roger Moore's daughter)

Yuo could also mention:
The Angled flight deck,
The steam aircraft catapult,
Arresting cables,
The Whittle engine,
A not the least: The Lucas refrigerator, so the Brits had to invent warm beer...

No it was Noah that sailed from America
The Baron

[Reinout]

Question for Stephen,

If "native Americans" do not exist because they originally migrated from Asia, then do "native Europeans" and "native Asians" etc. exist? According to current theories, humans settled the earth from Africa. Aren't we all "native Africans" then?

P.S.: a skull was dug up less than two years ago in South America, pushing the earliest dates of human habitation further back a couple of thousand years. Interesting if anybody knows whether that discovery has already influenced current theories.

Kind regards,

Reinout

[stephen]

>>>>If "native Americans" do not exist because they originally migrated from Asia, then do "native Europeans" and "native Asians" etc. exist? According to current theories, humans settled the earth from Africa. Aren't we all "native Africans" then?

Exactly!! Isn't that ridiculous? So who, precisely, sets the "cut-off" date for when a person is considered "native" and when they're not? Its outrageous for decendents of my Cherokee ancestors to say that they are "native" because their family moved to North America before, say, a decendent of a Spanish settlement whose family has lived in St. Augustine, Florida for the past 300 years. So what is the cut off date... 301 years, and those poor Spaniards didn't quite make it? What about Asians who migrated to North America in, for instance, the 13th century? Are they somehow NOT "native Americans," but those same Asians who migrated a century before ARE, even though they originated from the same race, same region and same culture? What about Asians who moved to America by migrating west, not east, and who came a few hundred years later... are they not "native" either? Or are they considered part of the vile and despised Anglo culture, even though they are Asian as well?

You're exactly right, Reinout. Such comparisons are utterly ridiculous, and you and I both know precisely why they are made. The intent of the term "native" American was never to identify one's self, but to denigrate those whose ancestors moved here later. Its pure political propoganda. And its not even good propoganda. Its mindless stupidity.

[Reinout]

Stephen,

I guess that's settled then? From this day onwards, you are an "American native African of Cherokee and European lineage" while I am a "Dutch native African of Limburgse and Overijsselse heritage".

I agree the choice of names was political. People want to be identified in a manner that would automatically grant them a certain unity or even rights. Not always the right thing but it's very, very human to do so.

Kind regards,

Reinout

[stephen]

Hey, Reinout...

There's a fun little game you can play here in the States that you might appreciate. When you apply for a government job you are always asked what race you belong to, with multiple choice answers. Its best to write "HUMAN."

When pressed for specifics, always insist that you are "native American." After all, you were born here. When asked to prove that you're native American, you ask them to prove that you're not. Then ask why they are discriminating against you and accuse them of racism.

Then you get to talk to their supervisor, which could be even more fun. Government offices are a hoot to work with over here... if you don't fit into one of their pre-arranged cattle stalls, they don't know what to do with you.

[Reinout]

Stephen,

Toying with bureaucracy usually isn't my game but you've got all the trappings of a memorable humourous sketch in your hands!

If I ever apply for a government job in the USA, I shall state my race as "Noord-Brabants", now THAT will have them panic!

Kind regards,

Reinout