OK you guys are getting on my fucking nerves. This isn't your personal AIM chatroom to go back and forth saying pointless shit. This is a discussion topic. Do not respond to this post.

Talk about something vaguely regarding the OP's intended discussion questions or don't post at all.

This is only kind of related but


I saw a bumper sticker on someone's car the other day that said "If you can read this, thank a teacher.  If it's in English, thank a soldier."  with a big American flag by it.

I AM GLAD WE ARE PROTECTING OUR LANGUAGE FROM BEING OVERTAKEN BY OTHER COUNTRIES (OUR LANGUAGE(NOT YOURS((FUKKIN BRITS))

I now understand why we were attacked and why we're at war.  I mean, think about it--the terrorists are really winning.  They wanted to overtake our language, and now that we've been attacked we're saying terrorist words like Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden and Al Jazeera like every day!  We have to go to war with them so we can reclaim English for America!

How is Al Jazeera a terrorist word? ha

Pretty much a lot has changed.  So much that you can't really talk about it all here.  Lots of people are dumb and think that Muslim = Terrrorist and that's not the case.  Lots of people think Iraq = 9/11 that's not the case either.  People need to educate themselves more rather than just speak out on things they don't know.

People need to educate themselves more rather than just speak out on things they don't know.

this is beyond ironic coming from you!

this is beyond ironic coming from you!

Haha I understand what you are getting at....

I feel like 9/11 did not affect those who did not have any ties to it. Like, family members who worked there, or firefighters... stock.. whatever.
Since I moved from ny to out of state (Florida), a lot of them do not understand what the twin towers are, and what happened that day. A lot of them said they were like "okay" when they saw this building just totally explode everywhere..

Downtown Ny is pretty much dead after that attack, so many businesses were lost in that area, or had to close down just because of the twin towers. Consumerism in that area probably went down a little too..

I can't disagree more.  I had no family that was hurt, or killed in those attacks.  But I will say that I saw the second tower get hit on live television, while I was just beginning my high school career.  I was sitting in my biology class as a freshmen when it happened, so soon into the school year.  It was aweful.  That whole day was the most grim day I ever knew.  And I'll always remember watching that TV, the whole class as rowdy as we got, in complete silence and disbelief.

It's affected all of us here in America.  Of course those who lost loved ones were directly effected the most.  But also amongst those who are greatly effected are the individuals like me, who saw everything that seemed so care free as an early teen, vanish within a year.  As a youngster, life was great, and happy, and it seemed there wasn't a problem in my entire world.  Even right before highschool, when I was becoming more aware of the world and the things around me, life seemed great.  But after 9/11, a lot has changed.  I went from living in a stable (enough) nation, to living in a whole world of intolerance and hate.  Never before 9/11 did I ever hear the words "camel jockey," "rag head," or "sand nigger."  But after 9/11 it was damn near every other word out of a high schooler's mouth.  Wether to be directly hateful, or just to be funny, there was a lot of shit being flung around those halls about anything to do with a plane or a bomb or a foreigner.

Also, think of the families here in America who have Arab or other middle eastern ethnic backgrounds.  They were hated, for a time.  And still are by some select individuals.  For a long time and perhaps still now they all received the coldest of stares out in public.  I'm not certain but I'd even assume there's been hate crimes and killings against those families who are supposed to be our American brothers and sisters.  They too were very much affected.

You don't have to have a direct tie to 9/11 to be affected by it.  You just need to know where certain influences in your life come from.

Dear Flykite,

I took the LIBERTY (which I wouldn't have if I were from some backwards planet where America didn't rule) to add some American images to better represent that red-blooded American spirit you put behind each and every word.

I can't disagree more.  I had no family that was hurt, or killed in those attacks.  But I will say that I saw the second tower get hit on live television, while I was just beginning my high school career.  I was sitting in my biology class as a freshmen when it happened, so soon into the school year.  It was aweful.  That whole day was the most grim day I ever knew.  And I'll always remember watching that TV, the whole class as rowdy as we got, in complete silence and disbelief.

It's affected all of us here in America.  Of course those who lost loved ones were directly effected the most.  But also amongst those who are greatly effected are the individuals like me, who saw everything that seemed so care free as an early teen, vanish within a year.  As a youngster, life was great, and happy, and it seemed there wasn't a problem in my entire world.  Even right before highschool, when I was becoming more aware of the world and the things around me, life seemed great.  But after 9/11, a lot has changed.  I went from living in a stable (enough) nation, to living in a whole world of intolerance and hate.  Never before 9/11 did I ever hear the words "camel jockey," "rag head," or "sand nigger."  But after 9/11 it was damn near every other word out of a high schooler's mouth.  Wether to be directly hateful, or just to be funny, there was a lot of shit being flung around those halls about anything to do with a plane or a bomb or a foreigner.

Also, think of the families here in America who have Arab or other middle eastern ethnic backgrounds.  They were hated, for a time.  And still are by some select individuals.  For a long time and perhaps still now they all received the coldest of stares out in public.  I'm not certain but I'd even assume there's been hate crimes and killings against those families who are supposed to be our American brothers and sisters.  They too were very much affected.

You don't have to have a direct tie to 9/11 to be affected by it.  You just need to know where certain influences in your life come from.

God Bless.

Right on bro.

While I disagree with the "thank a soldier" bit, I DO agree with the "Welcome to America, now speak english". I think it really fucking ridiculous that people who speak a foreign language move anywhere, legally or otherwise, and expect the people there to cater to them. If you are going to move to a country that speaks a different language than you, it is your fucking responsibility to learn their language.

So why aren't you speaking in one of the many extinct native american dialects?

While I disagree with the "thank a soldier" bit, I DO agree with the "Welcome to America, now speak english". I think it really fucking ridiculous that people who speak a foreign language move anywhere, legally or otherwise, and expect the people there to cater to them. If you are going to move to a country that speaks a different language than you, it is your fucking responsibility to learn their language.

99.9% of the people who own this bumper sticker at one point or another travel abroad but they know no languages other than english.



They only own it because they want Mexicans to "stop speaking their goddamn commie Mexican".

While I disagree with the "thank a soldier" bit, I DO agree with the "Welcome to America, now speak english". I think it really fucking ridiculous that people who speak a foreign language move anywhere, legally or otherwise, and expect the people there to cater to them. If you are going to move to a country that speaks a different language than you, it is your fucking responsibility to learn their language.

 

i expect you will never travel abroad then, right? you wouldn't want to burden those countries with catering to your English-speaking needs

i expect you will never travel abroad then, right? you wouldn't want to burden those countries with catering to your English-speaking needs

your so dumb. obviesly every country (even china) speaks english. it's the offical language of the world didnt you hear???
don't believe me?? look at south africa... english is one of its official languages and IT HAS AFRICA IN THE NAME

true 'ASE', but did you think about this... why would I even WANT to travel to some backwards-ass foreign country? America has everything I want right here. why do you think so many foreigners who don't know a shred of english come here... because America is THE place to be.

its funny because its been proven that the recent hispanic immigrants not only learn English faster as a result of the recent efforts to include bilingualism but that every area of the US which actually does have an influx of immigrants (ie Texas) has had spanish language stations and press 1 for english and shit like that for years and does not actually give a fuck.

I seriously think anyone who thinks having signs in Spanish and English means people won't learn English is pretty much a xenophobe because come on.

uhhhh they all know basic vocabulary to get by. even ASE's crazy polish mom probably knows HELLO and HOSPITAL and she never leaves the house (she just sits at home making sausauges true story).