Friesland,
I consider myself a Frisian.  Not that I was born in the province of Friesland in the North
of the Netherlands.  No, no ... my cradle (if that's what you can call it) was in the neighboring
province of Groningen.  Well see, they speak another language there.  They speak "Gronings" and
in Friesland they speak "Fries" (Frisian). Boy, yes there is a difference!  They're mutually exclusive.
Yet I am Frisian.  Grandpa was born in Friesland.  Hell, they were all born there, till old horney
great-grandpa Wessel Eelkes  literally lost the farm in bankruptcy around 1892!.   Some say it was the depression,
some say it was the spent-thrift of wife, Freerkje; some say he didn't know how to run a farm. 
So, what do I say??...  well, it happened!
And when it was, what the Frogs call,  a "fait accompli," the old boy hang himself.  Left his wife and
her four boys to  fend for themselves.  Nice going gramps!  You know, if it's up to me, knowing what I
now know about life: I, for one, forgive you.  I am not a judge. I am not wise enough.  There will be a judge a
thousand, thousand years from now, much wiser than I.... ( Gotthold Ephraim Lessing: Nathan the Wise).  I hope you're fine.
But I consider myself a Frisian.  My name is: Veenstra: Veen-stra.  From the bogs. Veen=fen; -stra=from.
Yeah, I am proud of that!  From the frigging fens, turf, mud...oh, I am not ashamed. Proud, I said. We worked hard:
pitched hay, mowed the fields, dug potatoes, milked cows, worked on strengthening the dikes; one of our
folks actually died in a battle against Catholic Belgium, 'cause they wanted to be independent.  Well, in the end
we let them have it; independence, I mean.  What's the use. Pick your pick, take your religion. Fine!

I am a Frisian, because the area where I was born and grew up was originally Frisian. The neighboring Groningers
may not like to hear that, but it's a fact.  I don't want to go into a linguistic justification about this
statement, but that's it.
And now  to this here Frisian Flag you see on my website (it really has only seven "hearts: lilly-pads):
Look at it!  People who saw it waving from my house in Fountain Valley, Californ-i-a  laughed. "Hey, Steve has
been smoking those weeds again!.  Oh, lov'ly. Seven hearts.  Stevie, the bleeding-heart liberal!"   Well, I am a liberal,
but I am fiscally conservative, you Arschloch!  
What do they know!?
Man:  ignorance and stupidity should be painful!! 
Those "hearts" are llilly-pads--yeah, I know, they is in red, isn't dey??  Well red/white/ blue.  See that's what the
colors of the flag are.  Like ours: red, white and blue.  Figure!  The seven lilly pads are actually seven Districts (there really
never were seven--I think it was a metaphorical number made up by a bunch of weed-smoking Dutchman). 
But there was unity!   Those Frisian (and Groningers) worked together by way of a Central institution (government)
to keep the dikes in good shape, help the poor, promote democracy and the economy. 
And the Dutch still do.  No need to fight each other.  Practice tolerance and cooperation.
Hey, USA, try it!!  If we don't, the dikes will break!
And by all means: no more wars; you and I can't afford it anymore!!!. Besides it's really stupid! Come to think of it!
Now that I do think of it, let the corporate world battle their own battles, pay taxes like everyone else, and we can all make
sure "that our dikes won't break."
Let's be one people: a House United and Undivided:  and Red, White and Blue will have real meaning. 
We are a government by the people, of the people and for the people.  Are we???

Steve. (a true blooded American - be it a damned liberal Frisian!).