4th of July Follow Up

My post yesterday raised a few issues, and I thank Snav and Sessy for taking the time to read it and post interesting comments. As I've got nothing else to offer today I might as well delve a little further into it. Sessy hits the nail pretty on the head when she says: "But I think that it is difficult for us as a nation to pull together because of our history. Wales is a conquered territory, people here can still fiercely protective of their national identity as Welshmen (or women. And I think the same can be said of the Scots." This is the real crux of our problems - our history divides us. Every constituent nationality sees the others as an enemy or rival. I was shocked with some of the reports in recent weeks surrounding the World Cup side show. How can Scots physically assault a 7 year old boy and a disabled man, just for wearing an England football shirt? That is surely taking hatred, or racism too far? I've always found myself supporting the Scots or Welsh when they are involved in any international competition. Obviously the same can't be said for everybody, and I have friends who will not support the other "home nations". To me that is just perpetuating petty rivalries, and who needs that? There are enough real issues in the world to deal with, we don't need to add insignificant ones to the mix. Snav comments: "Someone I know from England once implied that your country "let the colonies go" - I was never more insulted as an American. Whatever!!" To be honest there are people who do believe that. Some people find it hard to admit defeat, or to face up to the facts that cause such uprisings. It's easier to kid yourself that we didn't want to be inolved any more. Right, that'll be why we fought a war then? As a realist, I take the view that such an Empire was unsustainable, especially when the natives start taking issue with the rule from afar. Both Sessy and Snav make good points about trying to find a day that we can all celebrate: Sessy: "Britain is four countries in one, so I think that finding a day that all of us can pull together would be difficult. Celebrating war victories could be considered a reminder of the supression that the other portions of the island were subjected to." and Snav: "Regarding Trafalgar Day, LOL!! We've been celebrating the 4th of July for 230 years - you can't just pick a day out of a hat and begin embracing it! Too funny!" The real problem here is that the government are trying (for once) to create a new holiday that we can take pride in as a nation, and are clutching at straws with Trafalgar Day. They know that we need a focus that can pull us all together, as it seems that on a daily basis there are more fractures and cracks appearing in our society. We need a day that all of Britain can celebrate, as Sessy points out all parts of this Kingdom have been suppressed at one point or other. The best ideas I can come up with are still related to war though. Let's face it, it's the on ething in our history that we can look back and see some sort of success in! I was going to suggest the Battle of Britain - without the heroics of a few pilots the German Luftwaffe would have ruled the skies over Britain, but there is no single day attributable to this - it was a sustained defence over a period of time. The other idea I had occurred to me as I watched and read details of the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, this last weekend. So many young soldiers, concsripts mainly died in such a short space of time. Hardly a cause for celebration, I know. But the soldiers came from all corners of our country, to fight against a common enemy and to return peace to Europe, no matter how fragile it turned out to be. A celebration of what they sacrificed for others would be a fitting tribute, wouldn't it? Although, even as I write that, doubts creep over me. I know that we do need something to knot the nations together, but getting a relevant and coherrent answer seems to be quite tricky. It must be attempted though, because as Snavy ends with: "But, having something as a nation to pull you together is a truly amazing thing." I'd quite like to experience that