Recently there has been a great deal
of speculation as to whether our
longstanding “Special Relationship”
with Great Britain will be challenged as a result of the Brexit vote
which took place in June of this year.
We have assurances from President
Obama and U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry that there will not be any
change in the status of our friendship. Great Britain is far too great an
ally for anything to change between
us. The colony at Jamestown, Virginia in the 1600’s began that relationship with the birth of the colonies in the Americas signifying the
expansion of the power and wealth
of Great Britain. We fought hard
during the American Revolution
like a young adult fighting against a
parent to establish his/her independence and making up never wanting to completely part company as
we share a special familial bond. The
United States and Great Britain have
worked side by side throughout the
years during war times. They were
fierce allies during World Wars I and
II, the Cold War, the first Gulf War
and in the Iraqi War. The US and
Great Britain are co-founders of diplomatic groups such as the United
Nations, World Trade Organization
and North Atlantic Treaty Organization and many others. Trade has been
a large ingredient in the friendship
as well. The US and Great Britain
are among each other’s top key trading partners. It has been a common
site to see US Presidents pair up with
the British Prime Ministers throughout the years to address international
issues together. There are countless photos of Winston Churchill
and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ronald
Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and
George W Bush and Tony Blair that
attest to our “Special Relationship.”
Indeed many of our citizens in the
United States can trace their roots to
Great Britain even those who might
not necessarily look or be referred to
as “Anglos” as we say in Texas. My
husband and I are among those. It
is common to hear people refer to
Southern hospitality in the United
States. It is a label that refers to the
warmth with which people greet
one another and how they customarily associate with one another. You
can find this same culture of hospitality in the northern part of England
interestingly. I guess you could say
Northern hospitality. Instead of being called Sugar or Honey as is customary in the United States, you’ll
hear terms of endearment such as
Pet or Love. These are not terms
reserved necessarily for those you
know. They are used for complete
strangers just like in the southern
United States. It is not uncommon
to be warmly greeted by shopkeepers
or other business owners in northern
England similarly to the people in
the southern US. A friend referred
to the northern English culture as a
refreshingly laid back approach to life
that