Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site uwmacc.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!uwvax!uwmacc!myers From: myers@uwmacc.UUCP (Latitudinarian Lobster) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: One for our side Message-ID: <1633@uwmacc.UUCP> Date: Fri, 1-Nov-85 12:14:06 EST Article-I.D.: uwmacc.1633 Posted: Fri Nov 1 12:14:06 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 12:34:21 EST References: <973@decwrl.UUCP> <12580@rochester.UUCP> <1587@uwmacc.UUCP> <1385@ihlpg.UUCP> <1609@uwmacc.UUCP> <12789@rochester.UUCP> Organization: Ken Kopp's Fresh Seafood Tank Lines: 34 > > America happens to be the name of a country in North America, the same as > Canada happens to be the name of a country in North America. I don't believe > you should infer anything else in the name 'America'. The name of our country > should not and does not have to be an insult to other countries in this > hemisphere, it is just simply the name we go by. There are of course, people > who will look and find an issue with anything, but that does not mean that > an issue really exists. If the North American continent had been named > America long ago and we came along and called our country America, then we > would have a problem. > > Oh well enough, I have to go out and trim my hegemonys. > > bye bye > > ray Just to beat this dead horse a little longer (really what I'm interested in accomplishing is making people think a little bit about this; it's kind of like the debate about English neuter pronouns)... America is NOT the name of our country. It is the United States of America. You also seem to imply that our continent was named America following the naming of the nation, which I believe is incorrect. I believe that the continent was named for Amerigo Vespuci, an early explorer. I also recall that there was some thought to calling our nation Columbia, but it got grabbed before it could be made official. Perhaps in English it does not matter too much how you describe yourself, but in Spanish you should not use the word `Americano'; you can use gringo, norteamericano, yanqui, or estadounidense. Adios, jeff