Sgian/Pride

[Scott Gilmore]

... Then he asked why I wear my kilt at all. ... I told him because I am tremdiously proud of my heritage and I like to wear them. ...

I love being Scottish, and despite the fact that my family has been in America since 1862, sometimes I feel like bursting with pride when I wear my kilt, or play my pipes, or taste a fine Scotch, or hear the gorgeous accent. ...

As I read it, this thread deals with two topics in the following order: Wearing a sgian dhu and pride -- in this case, pride in one's heritage.

I'll leave discussion of sporting a ceremonial knife to others. What follows are some observations on the second topic: pride. This is clearly on topic for this thread, and if conducted politely, offers us an opportunity to learn from each other without violating the rules of this forum.

So, to emphasize, this is not meant to be inflammatory. It is meant to be a sincere exchange of ideas on an often used topic. Mr. Long, I think I understand the sentiments you expressed, and I feel similarly. However, many people assume that the concept of pride is just simply understood when it is brought up here or in a forum about one's heritage (which this is, kind of).

But I'm not so sure about that.

Maybe the best way to broach this is to ask some questions. Please think about your answers before reading the remainder of this post.

The point of the following questions is ONLY to get you thinking. Please please PLEASE do not post direct responses to these questions. They are rhetorical. Please stay on topic: pride as discussed in this thread.

• Why are you proud of your heritage?
• If you are or were a serviceman, are you proud of your service? Why? (If you have not been in the service, think about why a serviceman might be proud of his/her service.)
• Are you proud of you race? (Note that this is different than "ethnic" pride.) Why? ***THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION OF RACIAL PRIDE, IT'S A DISCUSSION OF PRIDE, AND PRIDE IN ONE'S RACE IS JUST ONE SMALL COMPONENT OF THAT TOPIC.***
• If you could be characterized as belonging to a group that has been historically socially ostracized or oppressed such as gays/lesbians/transsexuals or similar, are you proud of your association with that group? Why?
• Are you proud to wear a kilt? Why?
• Have you or someone close to you been recognized for a contribution to society? Examples might be a Pulitzer or Nobel prize, or the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Are you proud of this? Why?

If you given the above questions about pride some though, I ask you to reflect on the following.

In my view, pride is a just sentiment that can be entertained - even indulged - when it has been earned. I did not earn my ethnic or racial heritage. I was born this way - I had no choice in the matter. Pride is often used a little too loosely in this context. More on this in a moment.

Those of you that have served your country have, in my view, earned the right to be proud of your service. Those of you who have family who have served have earned the right to be proud of your family for having served.

The point is that real pride is earned. One may take great joy and comfort in one's heritage, race, the shape of your nose, whatever - but strictly speaking, within the context of this discussion, not pride.

Whoa! Easy there! Hear me out.

Having said that, I think I understand Mr. Long's assertion of pride as stated above: "I love being Scottish." Gregory, do I understand correctly that you take pride in the accomplishments of your fore bearers (which, after all, got you to where you are today), who were at least in part descended from Scots? Also, do you take great joy in the unique character that your ethnicity brings to your sense of self? Do you identify strongly with your Scottish heritage not only because of who you descended from, but also because of what other Scots have accomplished? A sort of national pride-by-proxy?

If so, then we are of the same mind. I take pride in the accomplishments of my father's family - the Scottish side (Ulster-Scots, actually). As it happens, I also bear a distinct ethnic appearance which emphasizes this side of my family. I like that, but then, I'm vain.

But I am also half Brazilian. My mother was born and raised in the state of Pernambuco of parents who had emigrated from Avila in north central Spain. While I was born in Pittsburgh, I was raised from infancy in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. My first language was Portuguese. I feel a similar sense of pride in the accomplishments of my mother's family. I don't look too Brazilian though, so to be perfectly honest, I don't identify with my Iberian heritage as strongly as I do my Celtic heritage.

Until World Cup time rolls around. Or Saturday feijoada followed by a nice caipiriña. Or I listen to Beth Carvalho or any good bosa nova or any batucada.

Seriously though, to take this a step further, let's touch briefly on the prickly subject of racial pride. Calm down! This is a friendly discussion! I bring this up merely to give our discussion of pride some context. This isn't a shallow subject.

Strictly speaking, according to what I said above, racial pride is an invalid argument. But just as we allow latitude in proclaiming pride in our heritage, so should we (in my opinion) allow latitude when some people proclaim racial pride. Specifically, where it is earned, though obliquely, by one's family suffering hundreds of years of oppression and being shamed specifically because of one's race.

In other words, if my people had suffered as Black Americans have for hundreds of years, I think I'd have earned the right to claim racial pride -- or perhaps more accurately, racial anti-shame. The same could be said for GLBTs.

The point of all this diatribe is that while a certain tolerance is appropriate when "pride" is bandied about in all its shades, we should be aware that pride is not a simple concept.

Sorry for the long post. I hope you enjoy a friendly discussion of these sorts of topics as much as I do. Thanks in advance for your tempered participation.