Choosing to separate won't right those wrongs and it will mean changes in every nook and cranny of society that no one knows for sure will work out well. Photo / Getty Images
Choosing to separate won't right those wrongs and it will mean changes in every nook and cranny of society that no one knows for sure will work out well. Photo / Getty Images
As New Zealand gets ready to make a decision that will shape the next three years, Scotland will find out tonight if its entire future will be different.
The Scottish Independence Referendum has divided the nation, and has had ripple effects all over the world as expat Scots and thosewith Scottish heritage argue the pros and cons.
I'm half-Scottish (my maiden name is Fraser) and have always identified with my Scottish ancestors more so than my English and Irish heritage. I was brought up in the UK, have lived in Edinburgh and travelled throughout Scotland (after New Zealand it is my second home).
My favourite music is by Scottish artists, many of whom are pro-independence (The Proclaimers sang it best "I can't understand why you let someone else rule your land, cap in hand.").
My political leanings as a teenager echoed my ancestors who fought and died for independence in the 1746 Battle of Culloden.
And yet if I were to have a vote to cast, I would be stuck between voting with my heart and head.
I switch between the "Yes" and the "No" camp with each piece of information I read and person I talk to. I love the idea of an independent Scotland. I love the idea of righting the wrongs that were committed against my ancestors. And I love the idea of one day being able to hold a Scottish passport.
But choosing to separate won't right those wrongs and it will mean changes in every nook and cranny of society, including currency, that no one knows for sure will work out well. A change every three years is vastly different to a change after 300 years - especially when it's irreversible.
