Larry,
We have never fallen out & I have no desire to do so now, BUT,.... Surely what Peregrine was saying is correct so why get so upset? Why not differentiate between North & South Americans? There is North Korea & South Koreans (they are rarely called KOREANS these days. In the US of A you have North Carolina & South Carolina, North & South Dakota, but I don't hear people from there calling themselves Carolinans or Dakotanians. As you are most likely aware, there used to be East & West Germany until they were fortunately re-joined together as ONE country, they ALWAYS referred to themselves as either East or West Germans.
Perhaps Citizens of the United States of America SHOULD refer to themselves as USAdians or North Americans??? Ahh, but then we have the problem of the Canadians ....THEY are citizens of NORTH America too, so why are they treated seperately?
Are citizens of Puerto Rico North Americans, USAdians or Puerto Ricans?
Coming from a United (????) group of individual countries, I know the problem the USAdians are facing. Although we are generally known as Brits. (short for BRITISH) or English, we have Northern Island (Irish), Scotland (Scots), Wales (Welsh) & England (English) in that total catergory. There are also those from Guernsey & Jersey to consider, what do we call those?? Each dislikes being called the wrong title. Why do we still have the United Kingdom tag too & should that not be United Kingdoms, with an 'S' at the end? We have the added problem of also being EUROPEANS - perhaps being from that unified(???) community, we ought to drop all the "Brit", "English" historical stuf & just refer to ourselves as Europeans?? Yuckkkkkk!!
So don't blow off steam 'Old Chap' - there is a germ of wisdom in what is being put forward. Just consider it a little bit longer & with a bit more depth/perception & you will see the logic that is there.
Regards - Grahame.