Author Topic: Who Is English?  (Read 6345 times)

floo

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #50 on: June 15, 2016, 03:59:42 PM »
Definitely all bloody foreigners, especially any Irish bits.

ippy

I have Irish nationality was well as British!

Brownie

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #51 on: June 15, 2016, 05:18:00 PM »
Really?  I never knew that floo.
So you have dual nationality.
I have some Northern Irish in me but that's not the same.
Let us profit by what every day and hour teaches us

floo

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #52 on: June 15, 2016, 05:45:04 PM »
Really?  I never knew that floo.
So you have dual nationality.
I have some Northern Irish in me but that's not the same.

Yes I only did it for a bit of fun in 2008, as I could. One is entitled to it if you had an Irish grandparent, as I did. My baby sister got it first, and had all the relevant birth, death and marriage certificates. I just had to provide mine, fill in the form, send a cheque for £88, and hey presto I have Irish citizenship. Another of my sisters is about to apply for it too, in case Britain leaves the EU. She and her husband have a second home in Bruges so it might get complicated if the UK is no longer a member. I have just sent her all the certificates. I saw on the Internet the other day a lot of people are applying for Irish citizenship at the moment.

Bubbles

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #53 on: June 15, 2016, 06:09:47 PM »
We are British so why not use the term?

I'm from Somerset, English, British and European all at the same time.  ;)

British is a bit wide really and I'd never describe myself as European, but I am.


Bubbles

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #54 on: June 15, 2016, 06:13:53 PM »
I'm proud of my Englishness, why not?

Everyone is special IMO.

People just express their specialness with labels.

No one should be ashamed of their identity, I think people should enjoy it.

If black people can be black and proud, why can't I be white and proud?

One is ok, the other frowned on.  I haven't enslaved anyone and the colour of my skin shouldn't imply guilt.

That's discrimination.

Everyone should be able to treasure who they are regardless of skin colour etc.

I'm not ashamed of being white, but there are a lot of people about, who think i should be.

It's not about feeling superior, it's about being comfortable with who you are.

Somehow that doesn't go down very well.

Even using the English flag leaves you open to accusations of racism.

It's madness.


« Last Edit: June 15, 2016, 06:21:58 PM by Rose »

Shaker

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #55 on: June 15, 2016, 06:14:31 PM »
I'm proud of my Englishness, why not?

Everyone is special IMO.

People just express their specialness with labels.

No one should be ashamed of their identity, I think people should enjoy it.
Quite.
Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Brownie

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #56 on: June 15, 2016, 06:19:20 PM »
Let us profit by what every day and hour teaches us

Bubbles

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #57 on: June 15, 2016, 06:25:59 PM »
This is just for Rose:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb63PdPweDc


 ;D ;D ;D ;D

Definately!

But I can still appreciate a Scottish identity with a Scot and enjoy a Burns night with neeps and tatters  ;D

Brownie

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #58 on: June 15, 2016, 06:30:41 PM »
...and many would enjoy cider with you, I'm sure.
Let us profit by what every day and hour teaches us

Nearly Sane

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #59 on: June 15, 2016, 06:34:35 PM »
I find being proud of an accident of birth bizarre. I am first and foremost on geographic identities a Glaswegian, though not born there (it was a whole 20 miles away). But I am not proud of it except when we behave well, and I am ashamed of it often even on Just Another Saturday.

It's home but that's about it, and I feel home there with people who feel at home there. Some are born Glaswegian, some achieve it, and some have it thrust upon them.

SweetPea

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #60 on: June 15, 2016, 06:51:57 PM »
Seems to me that what people self-identify as their nationality within the mix of UK countries is a mix of place of birth, parental place of birth, family domicile(s) historically and their current/long-term adult domicile.

In some cases, like mine, they may all coincide for most of the time - so I identify as Scottish in spite of spending 6 years in England during my childhood, but I don't consider myself any more Scottish than a friend of mine (like me in his mid-60s) who was born in England, as were his parents and grandparents, but at the age of 7 he moved to Scotland and stayed: he identifies himself as Scottish.

Some may see their place of birth as being more important to them than their domicile where these are different, whereas others might regard where they are/have been domiciled for most of the time as being 'home'.

I'm with you here, Gordon, and strangely your friend's story is similar to mine but reversed. I was born in Scotland but moved to England at the age of 10. My father and all his side of the family were/are Scottish, my mother was English and her father was English but her mother was Irish. We can't find any Welsh connections, though.

I've lived in England for many years but still yearn for Scotland and not so much the lowlands where we lived before moving south, but always the north-west coast, where I originally hail from.... thoughts of Loch Maree and the Gairloch sands, that was once home.

« Last Edit: June 15, 2016, 07:08:14 PM by SweetPea »
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Bubbles

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #61 on: June 15, 2016, 06:57:31 PM »
I find being proud of an accident of birth bizarre. I am first and foremost on geographic identities a Glaswegian, though not born there (it was a whole 20 miles away). But I am not proud of it except when we behave well, and I am ashamed of it often even on Just Another Saturday.

It's home but that's about it, and I feel home there with people who feel at home there. Some are born Glaswegian, some achieve it, and some have it thrust upon them.

There is nothing wrong in enjoying your identity and sharing it with others.

The time you might become aware you value it a lot is if someone attacks it by implying you should be ashamed of it.

That's what I find.

It's great fun when you meet someone who is willing to share their identity, they could be Jewish just as easily.

No one should feel they have to hide who they are.

We have someone at work who is black and has family in Jamaica and I love it when she shares her identity even if it's just some food  ;D

It's about treasuring your identity without making someone else feel less because they don't share it.

I've found most people love sharing little bits they feel is Irish, Jamaican, Jewish.

Or even sharing a meal with a Londoner who enjoys " pie and liquor."

Must admit I was surprised when the liquor turned out to be green but it was delicious.

Have to have vinegar, to do it properly,  I was told  ;D

Rhiannon

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #62 on: June 15, 2016, 07:03:44 PM »
I find being proud of an accident of birth bizarre. I am first and foremost on geographic identities a Glaswegian, though not born there (it was a whole 20 miles away). But I am not proud of it except when we behave well, and I am ashamed of it often even on Just Another Saturday.

It's home but that's about it, and I feel home there with people who feel at home there. Some are born Glaswegian, some achieve it, and some have it thrust upon them.

No, I don't find it something to be proud of either. It's just a way of expressing or understanding who I am and where I've come from, or not. It matters to me and there are other English people for whom the same things matter in what appears to be a similar way to me, so there's that lovely spark of recognition you find with someone who gets what you get. But proud of it? No.

Bubbles

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #63 on: June 15, 2016, 07:16:47 PM »
10 reasons to feel proud at being English or British ( they do use the term interchangeably.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/22/st-george-day-patriotic-reasons-pictures_n_5191257.html

On the whole we don't blow our own trumpet, perhaps that's why Donald trump can be annoying  ;D


Nearly Sane

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #64 on: June 15, 2016, 07:21:12 PM »
10 reasons to feel proud at being English or British ( they do use the term interchangeably.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/22/st-george-day-patriotic-reasons-pictures_n_5191257.html

On the whole we don't blow our own trumpet, perhaps that's why Donald trump can be annoying  ;D
aren't you blowing your own trumpet in saying you don't, on the whole, blow your own trumpet?

Shaker

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #65 on: June 15, 2016, 07:31:29 PM »
No, I don't find it something to be proud of either. It's just a way of expressing or understanding who I am and where I've come from, or not. It matters to me and there are other English people for whom the same things matter in what appears to be a similar way to me, so there's that lovely spark of recognition you find with someone who gets what you get. But proud of it? No.
I suppose it's pleasure rather than pride.

Winning the lottery is a sheer accident, a fluke of random chance, but people tend to be rather glad when they win. Saying that they're proud of it would be very odd.
Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Rhiannon

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #66 on: June 15, 2016, 07:44:05 PM »
I suppose it's pleasure rather than pride.

Winning the lottery is a sheer accident, a fluke of random chance, but people tend to be rather glad when they win. Saying that they're proud of it would be very odd.

Yes, that's a very good way of putting it.  :D

Bubbles

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #67 on: June 15, 2016, 07:50:05 PM »
aren't you blowing your own trumpet in saying you don't, on the whole, blow your own trumpet?

Yes!

I'm not being very British.

But sometimes I think these isles need to be appreciated for some of the positive things we do stand for  :)

NHS for a start  :)

I think we try and be fair and protect groups from discrimination.

« Last Edit: June 15, 2016, 07:52:56 PM by Rose »

Brownie

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #68 on: June 15, 2016, 07:52:03 PM »
Yes I too think it is pleasure rather than pride.
I feel ashamed when I hear about English/British football fans behaving badly.  Once when I was on holiday abroad I felt a bit ashamed of a crowd of English - well, yobs I suppose you'd call them - behaving really badly.  It was embarrassing. Yet I feel immensely proud of David Beckham who I think is a fine example of Britishness and a great role model.

So for me it is mixed, I've said before, like NS, that I cannot be proud of an accident of birth but it all depends on your own definition of 'proud',  I certainly understand what Rose says.
Let us profit by what every day and hour teaches us

Bubbles

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #69 on: June 15, 2016, 08:00:40 PM »
Once on holiday to Tunisa I remember being embarrassed by the superior behaviour of a fellow Brit towards Tunisian hotel staff  :( >:(

It was just rude!

I wouldn't have treated anyone like that!

Sometimes people do make me ashamed when they treat others badly.

I was polite and respectful and got the best family room ever.

Politeness and respect pays off in the end.

I get annoyed when someone behaves like a pig and are British because they let the side down.

Brownie

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #70 on: June 15, 2016, 08:37:36 PM »
Yes, I feel like that too.
Let us profit by what every day and hour teaches us

ippy

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #71 on: June 16, 2016, 08:08:05 PM »
I have Irish nationality was well as British!

I'm sure you're a joy Floo, but that doesn't mean we have to hold back when we're in full Flow having a go at bloody foreigners.

ippy

ippy

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #72 on: June 16, 2016, 08:28:27 PM »
I find being proud of an accident of birth bizarre. I am first and foremost on geographic identities a Glaswegian, though not born there (it was a whole 20 miles away). But I am not proud of it except when we behave well, and I am ashamed of it often even on Just Another Saturday.

It's home but that's about it, and I feel home there with people who feel at home there. Some are born Glaswegian, some achieve it, and some have it thrust upon them.

I can understand your Glaswegian written word, 'ahm', now do you reckon?

My wife and I sat down to watch and listen to a play on the T V some time back, the play was set in Hellensborough, we soon gave up, couldn't understand a word.

ippy

 

Sebastian Toe

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Re: Who Is English?
« Reply #73 on: June 16, 2016, 10:49:19 PM »
The smell of vinegar,

????
..broon sauce!

Ya Weegie!  ;)
"The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends.'
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