I listened to a Ted Talk the other day that was given by a linguist and university profess of English, whose point was that the language is always changing, and that we shouldn’t be so rigid in our interpretation of others’ speech and writing. As an example, she said that a few hundred years ago, the word “lollygag” meant to make out / kiss.
The problem I have with this is that window stickers like the one shown here simply make you look like an idiot. I heard a television commentator covering a golf tournament describe an errant shot like this: “That ball could have went anywhere.”
While it’s true that the language is always in flux, poor grammar makes it hard for other people to take you seriously.
You may be asking yourself why Missouri Republicans did this.
Well, what’s in it for these people to foster a generation of bright, literate youngsters with a thirst for learning?
Absolutely zero.
To be successful, would-be fascists need as much ignorance in the population as possible.
Keep this in mind next time you receive hear news about the dismantling of scientific institutions and the destruction of public education.
One of the most pathetic themes in modern-day American life is the way be get so upset about things that have essentially zero bearing on the quality of our lives.
Look, we do have real problems. Real problems. Environmental collapse, nuclear war, the devastation of public education, the growing chasm between rich and poor, people dying of treatable diseases.
But rooting out the (very few) trans people from the U.S. military should be of no concern to any of us.
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