Ways of belonging 131
with their people at the time. Public reaction to the death of Princess Diana was an example of loyalty so powerful that it surprised even some of the anthropologists who specialize in these issues. At this point, it is useful to return to the element of choice that is thought to characterize many complex societies, even to be a sine qua non of civilized life, among those devising political policies and seeking the support of their potential voters. It can clearly be linked to the idea, raised in chapter 5, of the 'cult of the individual', since subscribing to an idea of one's own choice and allegiance has a powerful appeal. An individual member of soci-ety may choose to be loyal to 2 monarchy, or to reject it, and today that person would not expect that he or she would go to war over issues that underpinned many a bloody civil war in Europe over the centuries.The.defence of this kind of freedom is one of the things that evokes strong emotions. however, and when it is expressed as tinderpinning demoaacy, it can sometimes be powerful enough to drive a people to invade the lands of those who fail to recognize the eoncept's value. Ideals of human rights, enshrined by international bodies such as the United Nations, may be called upon to justify considerable violence in the face of perceived exploitation, but anthropology as a disci-pline warns us to be careful not to impose our own upbringing and values on others. Thus, a friendly expression of the Irish presence in NewYork is the celebration of St Patrick's Day, when green beer is served and people from all sorts of backgrounds dress as leprechauns and other characters of Irish origin. On the other hand, since the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, which killed and maimed a large number of New Yorkers, as well as temporary residents from various other countries. a much less friendly division has arisen, pitting New Yorkers from a range of back-grounds against fellow citizens who happen to share the same religious allegiance as the attackers. This mistaken conflation of