I knew you had the concept of mediation, but I was not sure if my translation of the word "mediación" was accurate, as I am not very used to legalese (in English. In Spanish, I am relatively fluent because I've taken dictations from my dad more than once).
I am not trying to say that you or anyone else is being stupid, and I don't think that is the case. I've known brilliant people here. Nevertheless, I've been telling people that since I've joined this forum and I am not going to stop now. I think most people from USA simply does not realize how colonialist that word sounds for us many of us and I am just trying to make people aware of that. Not stop using the word, of course, but just thinking of it. When someone tries to tell me I don't live in América, it annoys me, I can't help it (I generally say "US citizens" but with another forumite (from USA) we used to jokingly say "USers"). Give me some credit for writing so many posts in English without using "Americans" .
Being honest, what really, really annoys me is when people in my country or other Latin American Countries use "Americano" instead of norteamericano o estadounidense. None of those words is perfect, but it's the correct word and it is not bad for us. When we really want to say "From North America", including México and Canada, we use some expression like "americanos del norte" o "gente de América del Norte". I really wish my own people was not so brainwashed, because as you said, in Spanish we are all "americanos", There are not many Americas, there is only one. That is why there is the OAS, Organization of American States, which does not mean the States of USA but the Countries of America.
I'm perfectly fine with estadounidense, except I'm not sure I can pronounce it. My point is that we don't have that word in English (except for various slurs), a native language shared by many people who are not Americans (usually the ones coming up with the slurs). It's not an American thing to use the word America(n) that way. It's an English thing. (It all doesn't really matter, and besides, it's not half as annoying as people confusing then and than
).
The reason it probably annoys me is because every time someone has
said it to me, they have had a condescending tone that implied I didn't know geography or history. I've often had a better grasp of history of other people's country than they did. And I've never detected rudeness or condescension from you to anyone.
As a US citizen who now lives in Canada I quickly noticed after moving that you do not hear American used much. Canadians usually say the States when talking about the United States or people from the States. If talking about an individual you often hear Texan, Californian etc or just they are from the States. I used to use American all the time but now try to avoid it as to my ear it now sounds like I am forgetting the US is not the whole continent.
Of course people say they're from Texas. It's clearly the best. Everyone knows God blessed Texas on the eighth day.
.
We live in alternate realities when it comes to sharp implements.
And I'm from Kentucky, where my sisters next door neighbor has a range in his backyard where he fires multiple weapons using gunpowder. Of course she is in the suburbs. Shooting a gun in the back yard is illegal inside the urban limit in almost every jurisdiction that I'm aware of. Even Texas.
Depends on the yard. And the gun. We actually do have some state laws limiting how the municipalities can regulate the discharge of firearms. For example:
Sec. 229.002. REGULATION OF DISCHARGE OF WEAPON. A municipality may not apply a regulation relating to the discharge of firearms or other weapons in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the municipality or in an area annexed by the municipality after September 1, 1981, if the firearm or other weapon is:
(1) a shotgun, air rifle or pistol, BB gun, or bow and arrow discharged:
(A) on a tract of land of 10 acres or more and more than 150 feet from a residence or occupied building located on another property; and
(B) in a manner not reasonably expected to cause a projectile to cross the boundary of the tract; or
(2) a center fire or rim fire rifle or pistol of any caliber discharged:
(A) on a tract of land of 50 acres or more and more than 300 feet from a residence or occupied building located on another property; and
(B) in a manner not reasonably expected to cause a projectile to cross the boundary of the tract.
Not that I know of anyone with a 50 acre tract inside any city limits (that isn't being used for commercial purposes that wouldn't go to well with shooting). Also they can't regulate the discharge of a firearm at a "sports shooting range," sort of.