Antonio Meucci: The Story of the true inventor of telephone.

[nato2101]

According to the article, at the time that Meuicci supposedly invented the telephone he was living in America (having immigrated there), which would make him an American, and thereby make this whole thread a moot point (since it seems to be an objection to the idea tha an American invented the telephone). If Meucci did invent the phone, and he was a citizen of the US (or even just living here when he allegedly did so) then it was still an American invention; and thus your rejection of the claim that a US inventor did so (and subsequent pursuit of this laurel for yet another American) is frankly puzzling at best.

So I guess my question is: what is your basic problem with any country claiming credit for what the people in that country do?

No it bloody well doesn't. Immigrating to another country does not automatically make you of that country. He would have been Italian until he had become a naturalized American and renounced his Italian nationality, which he never did.
The only reason the invention is attributed to Bell is because Meucci couldn't afford keep paying for the patent caveat (he had for two years already).
Of course the Canadians completely disagree.

 

[NovaKart]

Most people can't give an unbiased opinion about this because their ethnic origins make them choose one side or the other. I'm not unbiased either, I side with Bell because I think too many Italians and especially Italian-Americans are overly proud of their ethnicity (many Italian Americans constantly bring up the fact that they're Italian in conversation even when it's not relevant and some try to develop a victimhood status). It's the same thing with Christopher Columbus and John Cabot, who the hell cares that they were Italian?

 

[nato2101]

Most people can't give an unbiased opinion about this because their ethnic origins make them choose one side or the other. I'm not unbiased either, I side with Bell because I think too many Italians and especially Italian-Americans are overly proud of their ethnicity (many Italian Americans constantly bring up the fact that they're Italian in conversation even when it's not relevant and some try to develop a victimhood status). It's the same thing with Christopher Columbus and John Cabot, who the hell cares that they were Italian?

The basic problem imo, and I am Italian; from Italy, is that we have so little to be proud of now in this banana republic that we cling on to what we did have in the past.
Also I agree with that Italian Americans and other-nationality Americans (i.e. Irish) cling on to their "heritage" way too much, most have completely lost touch with the home country and their only connection is a mutated version of the original language and some distant relative. Italian Americans are not Italian unless at least their parents were born and raised in Italy and they can speak fluent Italian as well as whatever other language.

 

[Lillefix]

It's the same thing with Christopher Columbus and John Cabot, who the hell cares that they were Italian?

Well I would be very annoyed if someone claimed that Munck and Grieg were not Norwegian, even though I don't really care much about either of them.

 

[NovaKart]

Yes I agree, the Italians I've met from Italy were not so nationalistic, it's really more the Italian Americans. It's true that Italian immigrants were once discriminated against in America but that was a long time ago. I didn't mean to come across as nasty in my last post. I've been to Italy and I liked it a lot and Italy does have a lot to be proud of. Even now, the culture, movies for example and the food is excellent. It's very different from Italian-American food.

For Irish-Americans it doesn't bother me as much because so much of their pride is self-deprecating - ie. I can't go out in the sun, I'm Irish.

 

[amadeus]

Hey look, a thread I didn't care about 7½ years ago.