AITAH: Canadian in the USA here... lost it on a neighbor after hearing the 51st State "Joke" for the 50th time.
A Canadian visitor to the USA finds themselves caught between admiration and frustration. They cherish everything about America—the vibrant spirit, the warmth of its people, the proud, unyielding att*tude—but face a constant, dismissive "joke" that threatens their national ident*ty. Despite their love for the States, their heart beats fiercely for Canada, a country they hold sacred and fiercely independent.
When a neighbor casually jests about Canada becoming the 51st state, the visitor’s quiet pride erupts into a powerful declaration: they would fight and die before ever surrendering their homeland. In that moment, the line between friendly banter and deep allegiance becomes painfully clear—love for a country isn’t a joke, and defending one’s sovereignty is a sacred vow.
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As renowned researcher Dr. Brené Brown explains, “Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.”
The OP clearly values both their current positive experience in the USA and their fundamental identity as a proud Canadian. The neighbor’s repeated comment, while likely intended as friendly banter rooted in perceived American exceptionalism, repeatedly crossed a boundary related to national sovereignty and identity. The OP's emotional response—culminating in the statement about taking up arms—suggests a deep, perhaps undervalued, emotional investment in their national pride. For the neighbor, this was likely a low-stakes joke; for the OP, it was a high-stakes dismissal of their identity. The shock the neighbor displayed indicates a complete failure to understand the weight the comment carried for the visitor.
The OP's action of delivering an extremely strong warning in response to a mild provocation was perhaps disproportionate in terms of immediate social consequence, potentially damaging a positive neighborly relationship. However, it was highly effective in immediately stopping the offending behavior. A more constructive recommendation would be to set a firm, non-violent boundary early on, such as, "I love being here, but please stop that specific joke; it genuinely bothers me as a patriotic Canadian." This directly addresses the behavior without resorting to the shock tactic of discussing armed defense.
HERE’S HOW REDDIT BLEW UP AFTER HEARING THIS – PEOPLE COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.:
Support, sarcasm, and strong words — the replies covered it all. This one definitely got people talking.
The original poster (OP) expressed strong affection for the USA while simultaneously feeling deeply insulted by persistent jokes suggesting Canada should become the 51st state. The central conflict arose when the OP reacted to a seemingly lighthearted comment with a stark statement about defending Canadian sovereignty, causing shock and confusion for the neighbor.
Given the difference in perspective—one viewing the comment as harmless teasing and the other perceiving it as an attack on national identity—was the OP justified in escalating the response to the point of defending their country with force, or did this reaction exceed what was necessary for setting a boundary?