If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants. ~ Isaac Newton

Friday, September 19, 2008

?Como se dice dimwit?

I was walking through a local drug store and over heard a guy voice his displeasure in the fact that there were Spanish signs accompanying the English ones throughout the store. As I stood there trying to make a contradistinction between the brand name pain killers and the generic I started to think about this guys comment:

"This is freakin' America, why do we have to put up with this?!"

Four things come to mind.
  1. Put up with what? More reading? Is it that painful to read a sign with words that may be unfamiliar to you? It's Latin based pal, most of the words are very similar to the sixty or seventy words that you can read.
  2. I like to think of it as a language tutorial, hey whaddya know? Panales are diapers! Use it to your advantage my man, and don't let it be another thing to complain about.
  3. If you really have a problem with it your only real voice of protest would be to stop patronizing that store. Do you think store owners are doing it to be culturally sensitive or politically correct? No. They are pushing their products! Spanish speakers are consumers too, stud.
  4. Lastly, and this just might be ticky tack, but if you choose to be a public nuisance I will choose to pick apart your terminology. Yes, this is America. However, Mexico is America, Guatemala is America, El Salvador is America, Colombia is America and it stretches all the way down to Chili. America: North, Central and South. I'm not an expert but I'd venture to say that the majority of the populous of the American Continents are Spanish speaking.

So in short, quit using my language Mr. Outspoken Dolt, if you are going to make such benighted, intolerant, and unintelligent comments.

7 comments:

David said...

Yes! Amen and Amen. You know, our country does not have an official language. Some argue that we should, and it should be English because our founding fathers spoke English, the founding documents were written in English, etc. But our country is based on the concepts of liberty, not intolerance. All the founding fathers were white too, should we have an official race? They were all hetero and wore pantaloons too. Official orientation? Official britches?

I can't stand the meathead mentality. Your thoughts are right on, and your expression hilarious.

Larry said...

When I finished reading, I said (aloud) to no one in particular, "Good for Stephen! Well done!" Now, if we could just get folks all over Arizona to correctly pronounce "Casa Grande."

Heather said...

Ok I am one that does not totally agree, but you did help me see things from a different prospective.
I also have to say that I hate pressing 1 for english. That gets me everytime.

Stephen A. Hixon said...

if we were to have official britches, I'm voting for Knickerbockers.

jamie hixon said...

Well said!

Heather said...

I am sure you will look great in them.

Brian said...

Good one Steve. Knix on the Knickerbockers.