Wow!
And just imagine if German had become the prevalent language? It would add a whole new level to the video…
BTY, The dude is not old. In fact not even close to old! And a dear friend.
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He’s your friend? Lucky you. Seriously.
And btw, I agree. I’m quoting the original post there, which calls him old. I’d say he’s in his 40s.
Finally, welcome to Boingboing!
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It ends at the point of not being annoying to the other passengers.
Singing loudly = annoying.
Talking on your phone loudly = annoying.
Having a shouting match with the person next to you = annoying.
Speaking in a normal conversation voice in your own native language = not annoying.
Do you see the difference between the first three and the last one?
If not, you might be a racist.
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I could say I am a United States of American, but I prefer to say I am an American. People from Estados Unidos Mexicanos are called Mexicans and although Mexico is in N. America, Mexicans are not referred to as Americans. Yes, technically America goes practically from pole to pole, and you’re not wrong to say someone from Mexico is technically an American. But only a pedantic playground lawyer would insist that it’s wrong for me to be called an American. That’s just how people in and out of the US use the word. Hawaii isn’t geographically American, but people from Hawaii are Americans. It’s not some assertion of hegemony over the Western Hemisphere (Monroe notwithstanding). And if you are talking about Mexicans, why would you not say Mexicans? Words can mean more than one thing and often do. The word American can and does mean more than one thing.
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Very well-articulated! I actually don’t think I’ve ever put 2 and 2 together before and considered “American” to be a reasonable abbreviation of “United States of American,” LOL! I was always thinking of it from the continental frame of reference. Thanks for this, I feel better about being an American than I ever have! Wait, no, that’s definitely not right… You know what I mean! 
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Additionally, it’s a BS justification for not changing or making any effort at all.
The first step, IMO?
It’s actively acknowledging that change is hard and most of us tend to be really complacent, especially the more privileged among us.
After that, it’s actually being willing to do the hard work, and then following through.
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BTW, to spell it out:
White supremacy is not just about idiots prancing about in sheets and burning crosses.
It’s also why the median Black income in the USA is half that of white Americans. It’s also why Black people are massively overrepresented in American prisons.
It’s also why the West is rich and and the Global South is poor. It’s also why the vast majority of people dying under American bombs are not white.
The entire edifice of white Euro-American-Australasian capitalism is built upon a foundation of genocide, slavery and theft. Which continues to this day.
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This is also why i, personally, find it so damned depressing at times. There is no equivalency. Its not David vs Goliath, not even ant vs elephant. It often feels like throwing stones at a column of tanks. There might be some noise when you hit, but never any real impact. And if they notice you, it will end badly for you. So my answer is not to try to attack the edifice itself, but to focus on my local environs. I enjoy a fair amount of privilege and authority, so i use that to make it as uncomfortable for racists, homophobes, transphobes and etc as I can. IMHO, the question is not “how can we not participate in a racist society,” but “how can we change society to be more inclusive.” My answer is to act locally and, if you do enjoy the privileges tnat society gives some of us, use them to even the playing field, and maybe even educate and enlighten your fellow privileged ones. This society has been in place for a very long time, and battleships don’t turn on a dime, but if we don’t put a shoulder to the tiller, it doesn’t turn at all.
Yeah, stream of consciousness again. Apologies if it makes no sense.
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Hear hear!
I’d just add: and less abusive.
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Do you think it’s not possible for someone to be annoying even when they’re speaking your language in a normal conversation voice?
I might add that we don’t know if the people in this situation were speaking in a normal conversation voice, but then there couldn’t possibly be anything we wouldn’t know from this news blurb.
Do you have other knowledge of this incident? If so, please enlighten us. There was only one person who found their conversation offensive, and her complaint was not that they were speaking too loudly, but that they were not speaking English. Most direct conclusion is to take it at face value. Not 100% guaranteed, but far more likely than speculating that the thing that sure as hell appears to be racist is really just inconsiderate brown people.
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Hasn’t it been demonstrated time and time again that details will conveniently go missing when there’s a sensational story to be spun? Especially during a slow news cycle?
Did you watch the video? Did you listen to what the guy who described the incident to the cop said?
If you doubt what he said, why?
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Got it. Existing while Chinese = annoying.
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As a U.S. citizen traveling abroad in the '80s, I was encouraged to put Canadian flags on things to disguise the country I was from.
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Yeah; I remembering hearing that too.
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