Colin, I truly enjoyed your response to my post! I've noticed the "American phenomenon" as well ... I've been giving it alot of thought.

It seems to me that part of what both broadens the kilted community and sometimes divides it is the way Americans take the best parts of what any given immigrant heritage brings with it, tayloring it a bit and then calling it American. All one needs to do is look at what we Americans call "Mexcan Food," or "French Fries," or "Chinese Food," all which have been "Americanized" to appeal to a broader and broader spectrum of people. I'm not even certain that French Fries were ever French at all.

The U.S. has been called the 'Great Melting Pot' ... trouble is that when something gets melted it loses some of its original form. The loss of the original form can be disconcerting to those who held it or hold it dear. And in the melting cultural distinctions blur and some things actually become cross cultured ... The entire classic Texan Outfit is a perfect example. The Texas Outfit is made up entirely of bastardized parts of at least 3 different cultures and exists nowhere else outside the American mid-West. There is no similar outfit in any of the donor cultures, only similar parts of it.

Kilts. Kilts are no different and as more and more kilts are worn and made in America some of what makes for a traditional kilt will be lost and some of what makes up a dozen other forms of cultural clothing will slowly be merged into it or added to it as an accessory. As this process unfolds and more and more men of little or no Scottish descent or heritage start to wear kilts then the kilt itself becomes American and wearing a kilt for reasons of heritage becomes less and less common among kilted men.

If heritage declines as a reason to wear a kilt then some other reason will replace it. In a society bent on keeping men in pants it is a rare kiltman who is not forarmed with reasons for why he is wearing one. Frankly, here in America, simply claiming Scottish descent as the culture of America melts all things Scottish more and more into the cultural whole will become a peculiar and rare reason. I'm guessing this evolution of kilting from Scottish to American will not go entirely without a fight from those who continue to hold firm to heritage as their primary reason for kilting.

It's very possible that I don't know what I'm talking about ... it's just as possible that I do. No matter what reason any particular man gives for wearing his kilts I will applaud him. As for any American wearing a kilt outside of reasons of Scottish Pride and Heritage I must wholey agree with Colin that they really do owe a 'thank you' to those brave enough to have opened a societal door just wide enough for any kilted man who wants to to walk through it. Scots did not do this, Scottish Heritage Groups did not do this ... these groups largely provided only an excuse to wear a kilt, "Oh, your Scottish, I guess it's cool." I'm Scots-Irish-American Indian, so I can just get away with it ... my son is Scots-Irish-American Indian-German-French, who knows what broadening mix of descents his children will have. If they wear kilts it will not likely be for reasons of Scottish heritage or pride.

It is the man who puts on his kilt and goes to Walmart for no particular reason that get's credit for broadening the spectrum of kiltwearers. He's not celebrating his heritage, not attending a Ren. Fair, not participating in a Holiday .... no, he's wearing it for Freedoms' sake. He's wearing it because he wants to and nobody can stop him. This kind of man will wear his kilt to work and open the door for others 'not of Scottish descent' to wear it there as well. Those who are privilaged enough to claim Scottish descent owe no thanks to this man, but for the increasing numbers of those who cannot stake such a claim then let Freedom be the reason they ....

Kilt On.

Chris Webb