I live in the UK. When I open my mouth, it is obvious that I'm not from around here. Many people, desperate not to offend, ask me "Are you Canadian?" At first, I thought these people were really good at detecting the slight nasal-ness that makes a Canadian different from an American. Then someone told me that whenever they meet someone from North America, they always ask if that person is Canadian. Apparently, it really offends us "Canucks" to be mistaken as "Yanks". Especially in today's political climate.

This is a point I have always wondered about. When I was a teenager, and my friends went backpacking through Europe and Australia, they would sew Canadian flags onto their backpacks and jackets. It seems that this would give them better service and treament around the world. After all, everyone hates the Americans.

Everyone?

And I have read many conservative blogs, which I very much enjoy and read on a daily basis, that do a lot of Canadian-bashing. It seems the US hates Canadians.

All of us?

Ever since I was a little kid, I identified with Americans (my parents blamed television), and as I grew older, I felt it more keenly. America is big. It is powerful. It does things in broad strokes, just like I do. When I was 18, I tried to join the army - the American army. Why? Because I could make a difference. I could be a part of making a change, not just cleaning up the mess afterwards (peacekeeping). Well, because I had no relatives in the US, and was not a US student, I wasn't permitted to join.

I have always been an American in my heart - my nationality was always just an issue of geography. I followed the last American election closely, but didn't even know that Jean Chretien had retired as Canada's Prime Minister. So I could never understand what the fuss was about between our two countries. We are so similar. We have the world's longest open border. We look the same, we talk the same (barring regional variances). We worship the same deity (for the most part). So why do we hate each other so much?

Is it that Canada is like a whiny younger sibling, jealous that big brother gets all the cool toys and dates? And that big brother affectionately chucks us under the chin, and doesn't really mean any harm by it? Personally, I don't care. Canadian or American, we're just nextdoor neighbors. We don't always agree. Sometimes we borrow your stuff, and sometimes you borrow ours. I hope that continues, and that both sides quit sniping over nothing. I'm proud to be a North American, to have the wholesome goodies that come with being Canadian, and the courage and drive that comes from being American.

If you meet someone on the street, and you think they might be American, just come out and ask them. Quit being such a PC pussy - if they get offended, they're not worth talking to anyway.