Some of you will not perceive the following comments as relevant to a genealogical list. I view these thoughts as absolutely essential. I was reared in 1950s New Orleans with a Civil Rights Activist mother. We were not allowed to describe people with any references to color: not hair, not eyes, and certainly not skin. We were taught to focus on the essence of the personality and perhaps that's why I chose social work as a career. I've been subbed to several *celtic* lists, both culture and genealogy. Flame wars are a way of life on the culture lists, so I don't sub anymore. But, I've encountered an amazing degree, to me, of anti-Americanism on all the lists to which I've subbed, and I'm mostly a lurker. Ethnic *cleansing* is occurring all over the world as I write and our distant relatives and ancestors participated. Does it have to continue over the internet? My mother taught me we all began in the same place; we landed on different squares, like a checkerboard. According to her, and ANY religion to which I've been exposed, all people have more in common than they have differences. I was taught the high road is to focus on the similarities and the common ground; the low road was to pick, find fault, and discriminate. God, no matter what you call Him/Her, wants us to take the high road, but S/He gives us Free Will to choose our own path. I happen to believe in Karmic Balance; you get what you give. I don't always take the high road because I'm not perfect. But, by golly, I TRY and I know when I've taken the wrong path. I've changed careers; I teach at a university now. I'm no longer a social worker. That's evidence of disillusionment. And, I'm ready to unsub from every list because I'm intolerant of anti-Americanism. That's a prejudice. I'm guilty as confessed. My ancestors weren't just Celtic Irish. They were also Angle, Saxon, Norman, and Viking. It's interesting to sort out the puzzle. It's not a contest about superiority. Yes, I'm still stewing about the accusation today that Americans believe they're superior. I'm sure some do. So do some Canadians, some Irish, some English, some Scots, some French, some Africans, and on and on and on. I'm learning about whence I came and I'm looking for a common ground. I want to live my life by following the high road and I know I won't always succeed. But, I'm probably not always going to turn the other cheek when anti-Americanism is thrown at me because I don't deserve that and neither do my fellow citizens. We're just people and our ancestors all came from some other place. They just happened, by choice or by accident, to land on THIS square of the checkerboard. I'm disappointed in myself for wasting so much time today fretting about prejudice. But, I was reared to fret about prejudice. I wrote something innocuous, if not complimentary, today, and prejudice was read in to it. Why? I guess I can unsub if I want to throw a temper tantrum, but who is punished? Focusing on the positive, I found some other people whose ancestors lived the same place as mine at the same time. So, I'll go to bed focusing on the positive. This time. But, I know I can take the low road as well and I might screw up my own Karmic Balance by unsubbing in a fit of pique over prejudice. I think it's important to remember from whence we all came, when there weren't Celts, Angles, Saxons, Normans and Vikings. But, it IS a personal choice. I won't announce mine if I unsub, but I do feel compelled, at the moment, to share my thoughts. There are a great many lists devoted to ethnic prejudice if that's one's calling. I find it difficult to believe our common ancestors would be very proud of that with their benefit of retrospect. And, as a last stand, I'm interested in my Celtic ancestors, but I'm proud of my US citizenship just as I hope all of you are proud of your citizenship. Being proud and feeling superior are most definitely not the same thing. Should I have left this all unsaid and let peace prevail? I don't know. I feel like writing it. ListOwner: Feel free to throw me off the list for irrelevancy if I haven't already unsubbed. My conscience is clear. And, many thanks to those who wrote supportive letters to me as well as those who found we have ancestors in a common place at the same time.