BS: Our Emma (Raducanu) - Tennis

Subject: RE: BS: Our Emma (Raducanu) - Tennis
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 14 Sep 21 - 06:06 AM

BWM - No problems.. I can easily see you were being tongue in cheek...

Shame mudcat stopped us using smiley emoticons..

I miss my colourful signature eye winking stuck out tongue emoji...

Subject: RE: BS: Our Emma (Raducanu) - Tennis
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Sep 21 - 06:07 AM

Cheers, Allan.

Aside from the fact that "our Emma" in my opening post was intended as a piece of whimsy (if you were to have a natter with me down the pub you'd realise that I'm one of the least nationalistic-minded blokes around), "possession" was just just about the furthest thing from my mind. When I refer to my brother as "our Dave" (which I do all the time) I'm not affirming any "possession" of him, merely expressing the unconscious and lifelong sentiment that he's one of us (i.e., the family).

Emma came here aged two, which means that almost all of her sentient life (outside her family, a variable feast for each and every one of us in any case) has been steeped in things English - all her schooling, her friends, her general environment and all that. I mean, as Britain was once uninhabited, we're all descended from people who didn't start out here. I was born here but my gran on one side was Irish, born in Athlone, and my grandad was Irish but born in England... I reckon that makes me "half-Irish." There's been a lot of Irish influence in my life, not so much now that the oldies have all gone, but it's still all with me. I can play you a very mean Irish jig on the mouth organ, you know...But I'm English!

If you were having a natter with her about general stuff, you wouldn't keep on pointing out to her that she can't claim to be a true and unalloyed Brit because she was born in Toronto and that anyway her parents are foreigners here....would you? Carry on like that and she might decide she doesn't want to a Brit anyway! I don't want her to be "their Emma!"

Subject: RE: BS: Our Emma (Raducanu) - Tennis
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 14 Sep 21 - 07:29 AM

Do you ever read anything anyone else posts Steve, let alone try to understand, or is it all about ‘winning’? .

Nowhere have I said ‘she can’t claim to be a true and unalloyed Brit’, what I’ve said, over and over again, is that we can’t claim her as solely ‘ours’ in order to somehow feel good about ourselves - she has roots elsewhere, and she’s no more ‘ours’ than ‘theirs’ That’s all. It’s really not a difficult concept.

Now, if you’re not prepared to at least try to understand my viewpoint, and stop the Straw Man nonsense, you’d better join Allan and a few others, and BITE ME.

Subject: RE: BS: Our Emma (Raducanu) - Tennis
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Sep 21 - 09:50 AM

I wasn't really talking to you when I posted that. Just being all general and a bit meandering, that's all.

Subject: RE: BS: Our Emma (Raducanu) - Tennis
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 14 Sep 21 - 10:02 AM

Bullshit.

Subject: RE: BS: Our Emma (Raducanu) - Tennis
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Sep 21 - 10:54 AM

Please yerself, Mr Touchy! I'm just not seeing that much here to get even vaguely worked up about.

Subject: RE: BS: Our Emma (Raducanu) - Tennis
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 14 Sep 21 - 05:47 PM

I'm with Allan C and Steve on this: she is surely far more British than Canadian after spending 16 of her 18 years here, no matter where she was born, what her citizenship, or the nationality of her parents! Of course she may celebrate some of their traditions and customs. As for calling her "Our Emma", yes it's a term of endearment, just as "Oor Wullie" in Scotland is a favourite cartoon character, and belongs to everyone who wants to claim him as theirs.
My brother-in-law moved to Canada in his 20s, took Canadian citizenship about 20 years later, and is now in his 70s: he is definitely far more Canadian than Emma!

Subject: RE: BS: Our Emma (Raducanu) - Tennis
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Sep 21 - 05:51 PM

I don't believe anyone on here has claimed her as "soley ours to feel good about themselves" John. Please feel free to point out where they have if I am wrong.