Not nationalism

The Scotsman letters pages are open to all. If referring to an article, include date and page. Avoid attachments in e-mails. Please keep letters to under 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters. Send submissions, which must have a full address and phone number, to: ❚ The Editor, The Scotsman, Orchard Brae House, 30 Queensferry Road, Edinburgh EH4 2HS; ❚ lettersts@scotsman.com S. Beck (Letters, 14 April) suggests that the feelings I once experienced in seeing my country’s flag (Letters, 12 April), was “nationalism”. It was most certainly not. It was patriotism. This differentiation is, I know, a hard concept for those in the SNP.

To paraphrase George Orwell, patriotism is the love of one’s own country and nationalism is the hatred of other countries.

ALEXANDER MCKAY New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh S. Beck suggests that an emotional attachment to one’s country is a universal human trait. I suspect there is some truth in that.

Certainly I feel a sense of pride in Scotland and its achievements as I do in the United Kingdom and its achievements, because both these entities represent my heritage.

Those who are uplifted by the former while feeling no love for the latter are wilfully blinding themselves to the shared history, cooperation and liberal values that we as Britons created together over the last 300 years.

MARTIN FOREMAN Craigend Park, Edinburgh