[Edward Tinker]

Did you e-mail and ASK him if he realized his "mistake"?

I find this hard to believe that saying "THE" Ukraine is a bigoted statement. This can very well be that I do not know this part of the world and country, and apoligize for my ignorance. I have to guess that SFBAY is NOT your native land, and must have affiliations with Ukraine? I almost said The Ukraine as that is how I have heard it my entire life, just as I got my back up to several people that referred to "Jap" guns, yet as I have gotten around Japanese Collectors, they call them Jap guns. I do not like the term, but it is a term that has been used for many, many years in the Japanese collecting field.

I almost deleted your thread, as I myself found your tactic of attack as fairly offensive, but re-read it several times and if it is as you say, I can understand why you were upset. However, this is a common thinking of usage of referring to the Ukraine and it will be Many years before it is out of usage in the USA. In fact, I would think many countries are commonally referred to as the, you don't hear The Canada, but you hear, The USA, The Congo, The Netherlands, etc., so it is very possible that Michael meant little by it.

Again, I ask, did you take this matter up with him, before publically calling him a bigot for a term that many Americans would not find offense (and again, I apoligize if it is, but my reasoning stands above),

best regards,

Ed