Here's the thing... I have never claimed to be Irish.

Yes, I spent a year living in Dublin when I was 12, but even that doesn't make me Irish.

All I've said is that my ancestors were Anglo-Irish, and as a Canadian/American growing up, I identified that heritage with my identity. That's it. It's incredibly common in the US and Canada.

Out of the blue a Scotsman decided to rudely antagonize me, so I have been rude to him in return. I have no ill-feelings towards the Scots, but I'm happy to be rude to a rude Scotsman.

The Scots and Irish get defensive about our culture because someone is trying to claim it without actually knowing anything about it.

Apparently the same is true of Americans, when people are rude about the American experience when they don't actually know anything about it.

For reasons I still don't understand, he decided to start throwing punches, so I've returned them.

Stop viewing my comments through his perspective and re-read my original comment. There is no arrogance or nastiness in that comment. I'm not claiming to be Irish. I'm just remarking on my experiences. My conclusion is simply: Identity is tricky.

The fact that everybody is freaking out about how there own identity has been threatened, proves my point: Identity is tricky.