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PBBN43 on 06 March 2012
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insomniac17 said:
PBBN43 said:

I know it's not your intention, but it comes across as arrogant. US is shorter than America and it's not ambiguous. I don't see any reason to use America. About "I said it is in the name of the country", that doesn't mean anything, America is in reference to the continent. I said that it's not the name of the country, which it really isn't, so there's no point using it.

Then get everyone who uses it to change what they say. Across the world. If there was a different term when I was young, I would have grown up using that. It is because everyone uses it that I do too. There isn't really another word that is widely accepted for identifying a US citizen. Everyone just uses American.

And US is shorter than America. I think most people do use US when talking about the country. I do, and the people I know do. But you do hear America, and that is because it is a part of the name of the country that we use it. You are right; it isn't the name of the country. But it is part of the name. And the name is long and unwieldy. No one wants to say United States of America every time we talk about the US. So we use other terms. America is one of them, because it is part of the name. US/USA are others because they are acronyms for the name.

I'm not trying to be a jerk here, and we are really arguing over semantics, but my point is just to say that... People here grew up using those terms because everyone else does. Everyone in the world uses them. We could blame people way back when for starting it, but they aren't alive now. Saying that we're arrogant for using the terms that we grew up with, and that everyone in the world uses seems rather cruel because it isn't just us, and we didn't start it. Yes, we aren't changing it... but no one else is either.

Netyaroze said:

I might just do that. You should apologize to the mexicans and canadians that your ancestors were rude and without manners.

Certainly. Let this be my formal apology to all Canadians and Mexicans (and anyone from South America) out there who have ever taken offense to the term "American" being used to refer to a US citizen. My ancestors should be ashamed to ignore such a significant part of the world. I'm sorry.

Bolded part: That's exactly the problem. If no one is willing to change simply because the term is seldom used, then it will always be wrong. Maybe we can't change the world, but we certainly can do our part.

Other part: If that's not sarcasm, it's rather nice of you. Can't really say much more, though.