Now that I think about it, why would someone want to hear more strangers’ conversations? Probably 90+% of all conversations are pointless and stupid.
Did you see that thing on Facebook?
Huh?
Did you see that thing?
What thing?
I don’t remember, but Pete forwarded it to me, and I thought—
Did you say you needed garbage bags?
Yeah.
What size?
I don’t know.
Are those new shoes?
These?
Did you wear those to Dina’s party?
I don’t think so.
Oh.
And it goes on and on like this, all day long. Now multiply this by a billion.
That’s where you’d be wrong. While the classic dictionary definition #1 of race or racism may not fit this situation perfectly, we also need to recognize that definitions found in the dictionary are only a partial list of the ways words are used and that dictionaries are not now nor have they ever been intended to be used as arbiters of language.
Today, the word racism and racist have come to encompass a spectrum of anti social behavior based on bias and xenophobia towards the other. This is a common usage in today’s society. To call such usage out as being “wrong” is to suggest that society has no part in language which is clearly not the case.
There are stories about English people visiting Wales walking into shops and pubs and seeing all the locals instantly switch from English to Welsh so that the outsiders can’t understand what they are saying.
Ugh…as horrible as these people are, the worst part is how this repulsive racist behavior has been normalized and accepted by a large portion of our country. Makes me weep sometimes.
Exactly my first thought. In fact, I decided to just check on how many state names are English derivative. About 10%. The rest are (shocker!!!) about as diverse as this nation is. In fact, the majority are derived from indigenous languages. Not that this ignoramus would be impressed.
Which is too bad as it might mean she could come back not quite so fucking ignorant!
It should be a part of the American public education system that all kids be exchange students for a year, and every year a different country!
Oh, leave those other countries out of this. They don’t deserve her.
And, sadly, she’d just come back from Paris complaining that the restaurants have terrible public service, refusing to speak to her in English.
But mostly I agree, Americans need to get out more.
I recall hearing somewhere that like only a third of members of congress had passports before getting elected.
There are stories about English people visiting Wales walking into shops and pubs and seeing all the locals instantly switch from English to Welsh so that the outsiders can’t understand what they are saying.
As should be expected when the Welsh have to deal with their conquerors.
