But people have been prosecuted here for using their own name and that isn't right.

Here as in where? The board? Scotland?

Actually, Zoe, there is a TON of Celtic pride in the US, some ersatz and some not. All up and down the east coast, especially, from Boston to the Appalachians. America is not lacking in acknowledgement of Celtic cultural heritage, even if some of that acknowledgement would probably scare the modern Irish and Scots.

That's good to know.

Have to leave this very interesting conversation because mr flea has homework! Burrell, I will email you when I get a chance - I have something else I want to talk to you about too.

But people have been prosecuted here for using their own name and that isn't right.

Here as in where? The board? Scotland?

Here in Scotland.

I guess I'd like to hear some American people acknowledgeing the Scottish contribution too and the Irish.

It's almost not possible to overstate the impact of the Scotch-Irish on the development of the U.S., culturally and territorially. But in the current discussion, I'm not sure it's that relevant.

Over half the U.S. population claim Irish heritage (and even more "celebrate" St. Patrick's Day), and quite a bit claim Scottish heritage. I'm one of those. I tend to think it's been an attractive heritage to claim since WWII--it's got all that romantic mythology and persecution and yet can't really be blamed for the evils of colonialism or warmaking.

Are we talking about the chain "McDonald's" suing them? Because corporations are just sue happy. It is really annoying. But American's with the actual name "McDonald" opening up a restaurant would get sued too. I live in a little tiny city. We used to have a restaurant named Oscars. They were sued by The Oscars and changed their name to Ozzie's.

I lived in Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, and there was a Gathering Of The Clans every year, complete with caber toss and people wandering around in great kilts. People are very aware that the area was settled by Scots, and people scramble for Scots heritage whether or not they have any. My daughter went to ballet class with two girls who spent their weekends at Irish step-dancing competitions. And so on. Americans are enthusiastic about celebrating their varied heritages. Especially if alcohol can be somehow involved.

I think most Americans *do* have a tremendous respect for our ancestral cultures, and that if anything, Scotland and Ireland get more attention than most because so many of us have Scottish and/or Irish ancestry. I'm something close to 75% British of one flavor or another myself, and I'm proud of it. And when I say that my name is an American name, I'm not denying that my married name is also English, nor that my maiden name is Scots-Irish. But they're equally American, because that's what *I* am, and they're *my* names.

Are we talking about the chain "McDonald's" suing them? Because corporations are just sue happy. It is really annoying. But American's with the actual name "McDonald" opening up a restaurant would get sued too.

I guess I have a problem with a foreign company challenging the right of an actual McDonald highlander to use their clan name.