that your average Brit is as anti Irish as at least your average Unionist.

The average Brit has an almost morbid fascination with wallowing in the double standard

I have never seen any evidence of this. I am however willing to be educated. I suspect that the above statement is a knee jerk reation and for that, Tiocfaidh, I don't blame you at all. I occasionaly see the crap printed in the press and the bias shown on the news and shake my head in wonder at who believes it. I occasionaly have bouts of serious depression when I see the idiots spouting their anti [enter your own race/religion] hate on my TV screen.

Before I tar everyone else with the same brush though I stop to think about all the people I know. The sensitive and tolerant. The helpful and patient. The thoughtful and intelligent. And I realise that the idiots only make the news because they are in the minority. They are the unusual. They are NOT the average Brit.

Saying the average [anyone] is such and such is stereotyping. You may as well say the average Moslem is a terrorist. The average Jew is greedy. The average black is a rapist. Or the average Irishman is thick! I don't think anyone in their right mind feels that these statements would be acceptable nowadays. They are simply untrue.

If you can show me evidence that the 'average Brit' has any particular trait I am more than willing to stand corrected. If you can tell me what an 'average Brit' is I will be happy to perform the survey myself! If you change your sweeping statement to the 'average British politician' I may, just may, be tempted to agree.

Until then I will feel very uncomfortable that you consider me, my family and all my friends to be enemies.

Cheers

Dave the Gnome.