Secure education

Being an American of British ancestry, observing the debate over Scotland leaving the United Kingdom is like watching parents discuss a divorce. It is 
painful.

I firmly believe Scotland should not leave the United Kingdom. You in Great Britain have a strong, vibrant nation.

In a world where security is a compelling concern, there is no question that you can better deal with internal and external security issues when you are united. The democracies of the world are also better off as a result.

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But there is another aspect of this. Americans send large numbers of their children to Scottish universities for post-secondary education.

I am in that group and am very proud to have a daughter who recently graduated from one of your very fine universities. When deciding on where she should apply, the size and security of the United Kingdom was a major plus.

Sadly, Americans, as the British, are targets of some of the fanatical groups in the world. We want to feel safe when we are abroad.

This is particularly true when our children are involved. In my family, we would not have felt as secure sending our daughter to you if you were a relatively small, independent country. Inevitably, you will not be able to provide the same level of security if you are independent. As a result, in an unstable world, I think Scottish independence would have a negative effect on the number of American applications to your universities.

The United Kingdom is better together and I hope you will consider this when you vote.

Neil Whitford

Morehead City

North Carolina