Rab (bombero) Reid Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I started this in a light hearted way. We should all be proud of the fact he wants to represent our great country! Umm nope, Norm started this thread .. you were the one questioning his Britishness and that of being truly British! My Dad was Scottish, Mum is Singaporean and I was born in Singapore, lived half my life abroad whilst Dad was in the Army .. so please tell me, following your criteria for being truly British, where would you place me?? ps - well done, Mo! A truly British athlete who is proud to call Britain his home, calls himself British and represents Britain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveD Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Umm nope, Norm started this thread .. you were the one questioning his Britishness and that of being truly British! My Dad was Scottish, Mum is Singaporean and I was born in Singapore, lived half my life abroad whilst Dad was in the Army .. so please tell me, following your criteria for being truly British, where would you place me?? ps - well done, Mo! A truly British athlete who is proud to call Britain his home, calls himself British and represents Britain! that would make you albanian wuv , all white with pink eye's 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User0083 Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Bombero, I started my bit as light hearted. As for yourself, as me 50% British! This really is like being back at school. I remember people claiming to be 1/16th Irish due to their great grandfather being Irish... Well something like that! I've lived 24 out of 30yrs in England, only British passport, British army, only able to speak English and would consider myself British... But surname is guest. So where does that leave me? Last ten patients Mrs C has had have all required interpreters, even if a family member. All have had special cultural requirements and all are British. That confuses both of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rab (bombero) Reid Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Aww, Steve wuv, you know me do well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User0083 Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Ooo... I have British taxes removed from my wages, therefore I am British. Would that work? Mo would've paid more in taxes than me, makes him more British than me. I consider Mo British, way he carried the union flag and had such pride while carrying it. There was a massive conspiracy theory type thing about him being Somalian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 Stephen, there is no conspiracy theory, his parents are Somalian and he was bought to the UK as a child. It's never been covered up or hidden. The point I was making was that of Britons, not British. Britons were the original people to inhabit the place we now call England. There are very few true Britons left, if any. Our Islands have a long and proud history of immigration. It's what makes us such a Great nation, diversification. read THIS and THIS The wave of Russian Jews is a narrow description because I think it would be better described as Eastern European. They came from Romania, Poland as well as Russia. To confuse matters more the borders then weren't the ones we now have. The Polish/Russian border has moved east and west with each war in the region. My maternal grandfather was a Russian Communist and left Russia with his friend Trotsky. My paternal grandfather was Polish. Nice story. My paternal grandfather was an "educated" man. When he arrived in England (London Docks by the East End) he wanted to Anglicise his name. He was an "educated" man and knew that Shakespeare had written a play "Two Gentleman of Verona" so he changed his name to Verona. The point I make is that the vast majority of English or British people are descendants of immigrants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User0083 Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 All very good points Norman. Your grandfather changing his name was common, I think. Being educated and choosing Verona for that reason is very clever and I like it. Snipping back to Mo, Somalia isn't a nice place and his parents probably wanted the best chances for him and moved to England, as Millions have over hundreds of years. It worked for him and has for a majority. The issue is the media spread of rumours... Hence my Somalian comment, I'd read it as he had not been educated in the uk and had not lived here very long, about 5-7yrs was what I had read. I checked back today to find it was different. I can't find the article I'd read before. Back to everyone else... The media play a huge negative role in immigration and people in the uk. I have massive cultural issues with an Indian family that block our drive, play cricket in my front garden and don't see why I get upset by there actions. HOWEVER... He was not happy when I took a camp chair and had a beer in his front garden. He kept referring to India and how it worked there and how I was wrong for being upset about them in my garden... Yet I was not welcomed into his. I still say hello to him, he avoids me at all costs and children not been in garden since! But this is isolated and the Indian guy across the road has had similar issues. But we only hear the bad bits in the news, causing bad opinions with limited facts and evidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 And what would be your thoughts if it was a white neighbour putting his rubbish in your bin, letting his kids go onto your property and being generally offensive as well as not only blocking your drive but parking on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tolf Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Right you two ( and you both know who) Stop b***hing at each other and go right back to the essance of this thread; It was to say well done to Mo, who is probably the best runner who has ever represented this country. It does not matter where he was born, what colour he is- the fact that he chose to run and represent Britain says enough. He is proud to call himself British. If you want a b***h about race, origins or anything else, get off this bus, and join another forum Why the oops, i said a naughty word! does nearly every post turn into a bl**** row, this is why people leave the club. Now, rant over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 Tolf, nobodies having a row. I'd call it a discussion. I posted the first post and that could have been it. Are we all supposed to fail to react when someone makes a controversial remark, even though it is in innocence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minesapint Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 At least he and his family are living in this country, there are many people calling themselves British who have upped-sticks and living abroad (France for example) Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 Still British though. Born and bred (well dragged up) in Hackney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike H Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 I started this in a light hearted way. We should all be proud of the fact he wants to represent his country! Fixed that for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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