Things that irritate me

[TheNiche]

Some intereting statistics from the US Census...

http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t37/tab01a.pdf

Of the 262 million people living in the US who are over 5 years of age, over 82% speak ONLY English. Of the 49 million who speak another language, 28 million of them speak Spanish.

However, of that 28 million, 72% of them ALSO SPEAK ENGLISH well or very well. Another 18% speak English, though not too well. Only 10% of the Spanish speakers, 2.8 million, do not speak English at all, a percentage nearly equal to the percentage of Chinese who do not speak English. Of ALL other languages spoken, 3.5 million do not speak English at all, just over 1% of the total US population.

Considering the number of posters on this forum predicting that the entire US would soon be speaking Spanish, I would have expected a far bigger percentage than a measly 1%.....you don't think anyone was exagerating, do you?

It is well-documented that the Census does not adequately account for minority households, much less illegal immigrants. And although it is not that the Census Bureau doesn't try, it is that the response rate is low because there is a suspicion of the government.

It is also telling that of those that speak a Spanish or Spanish Creole language in the home, a greater proportion speak absolutely no English than those groups of people that speak any other non-English language in the home. That much is very supportive of the argument that the large size of Mexican immigrant communities allows for an insulated lifestyle.

And although these figures do seem to put a damper on the argument that the U.S. will be overrun by non-English speakers, there are still very valid concerns over how we as a society should handle non-English speakers. In fact, if there are so relatively few, perhaps it is not in our interests to accomodate them at all; we certainly cannot do the other extreme and attempt to be all-inclusive because it would be cost-prohibitive and just impractical.

[northbeaumont]

It is well-documented that the Census does not adequately account for minority households, much less illegal immigrants. And although it is not that the Census Bureau doesn't try, it is that the response rate is low because there is a suspicion of the government.

It is also telling that of those that speak a Spanish or Spanish Creole language in the home, a greater proportion speak absolutely no English than those groups of people that speak any other non-English language in the home. That much is very supportive of the argument that the large size of Mexican immigrant communities allows for an insulated lifestyle.

And although these figures do seem to put a damper on the argument that the U.S. will be overrun by non-English speakers, there are still very valid concerns over how we as a society should handle non-English speakers. In fact, if there are so relatively few, perhaps it is not in our interests to accomodate them at all; we certainly cannot do the other extreme and attempt to be all-inclusive because it would be cost-prohibitive and just impractical.

What irritates me are the "bubbas" who drive around in old, beat up pickup trucks with the bed full of empty beer cans. And the bumper with a sticker on it that says: "The day they take my gun away from me will be when they pry my cold, dead fingers off of the trigger." That "redneck mentality" sure is irritating.

That's one of the reasons why the last time that a Democratic presidential candidate carried Texas was way back in 1976. The fact that Bob Dole (a candidate most Texas knew didn't stand a chance) carried the state back in 1996 shows how redneck conservative the Lone Star State really is.

[flyingman]

Back to the main topic ...

I would find in myself greater respect for any nation's flag flying, but preferably with the American flag along with it. Parrothead may have issues with the Mexican population or the country in itself to feel that way. Unfortunate.

I'll just say this; if it's because of the immigration thing (and not specifically to Parrothead) it would only be fair to dislike all other countries in poor economic situations, who if conveniently shared borders with us, you know would be doing the same thing. So when you get into bashing their culture and beliefs within their households, that's gone too far. (people were going off on those tangents)

Flying only the foreign nation's flag feels stubborn and uninviting to me, regardless of what flag it is.

I think it was unfortunate for that hotel mentioned above to take down the other nations flags post 9/11. It WAS flying with the American flag. To take them down and complaining about taking them down was very ignorant and intolerant, a reason many nations dislike the American PEOPLE. It was disrespectful to the people that work with the company and to the people they accommodate. If Cirque Du Soleil took the many flags that surround their Grand Chapiteau representing the nations of their artists, acrobats, singers, technicians, and creators, it would be a gigantic slap in their face wouldn't it?

[TexasArchitect]

wow, i'm surprised at the first post.

granted this is the way off topic section, but y someone would post on the particular issue and how and it made them feel is mind boggling or like will ferrel would say "mind bottling", lol.

some things are best kept to themselves.....

[Jax]

The worst one I saw was a bumper sticker on a pickup truck that said "Truth not tolerance" next to a big cross. Beside that was a sticker that said"jesus loves truckers". I don't mind if you have a jesusfish or wahtever, but come on - promoting intolerance is pretty lame (I bet even Jesus himself would have thought so).

I guess the good part is that I see a lot more stickers promoting religious tolerance than anti tolerance stickers. At least here in the inner-loop.

What irritates me are the "bubbas" who drive around in old, beat up pickup trucks with the bed full of empty beer cans. And the bumper with a sticker on it that says: "The day they take my gun away from me will be when they pry my cold, dead fingers off of the trigger." That "redneck mentality" sure is irritating.

That's one of the reasons why the last time that a Democratic presidential candidate carried Texas was way back in 1976. The fact that Bob Dole (a candidate most Texas knew didn't stand a chance) carried the state back in 1996 shows how redneck conservative the Lone Star State really is.

[northbeaumont]

The worst one I saw was a bumper sticker on a pickup truck that said "Truth not tolerance" next to a big cross. Beside that was a sticker that said"jesus loves truckers". I don't mind if you have a jesusfish or wahtever, but come on - promoting intolerance is pretty lame (I bet even Jesus himself would have thought so).

I guess the good part is that I see a lot more stickers promoting religious tolerance than anti tolerance stickers. At least here in the inner-loop.

Yes, there's usually more tolerance in the inner city than in the surburbs and rural areas.

[westguy76]

The worst one I saw was a bumper sticker on a pickup truck that said "Truth not tolerance" next to a big cross. Beside that was a sticker that said"jesus loves truckers". I don't mind if you have a jesusfish or wahtever, but come on - promoting intolerance is pretty lame (I bet even Jesus himself would have thought so).

I guess the good part is that I see a lot more stickers promoting religious tolerance than anti tolerance stickers. At least here in the inner-loop.

I don't like to have to tolerate things either!

What stupid group starting falling in love with this word.

I have beliefs and convictions.

I have all the free will I want to dispise the actions of others.

There are things we all hate or disagree with that doesn't make us fanactical.

Unless we behave in unrational acts that infringe on others.

so call me a hater.

or call me a free thinker.

I am intolerant and i am ok with it.

its not always a bad thing

And having a sticker that says truth not tolerance. How does that promote intolerance

[houstonmacbro]

I don't like to have to tolerate things either!

What stupid group starting falling in love with this word.

which means i have beliefs and convictions.

I have all the free will I want to dispise the actions of others.

There are things we all hate or disagree with that doesn't make us fanactical.

Unless we behave in unrational acts that infringe on others.

so call me a hater.

or call me a free thinker.

I am intolerant and i am ok with it.

its not always a bad thing

And having a sticker that says truth not tolerance. How does that promote intolerance

Similalrly, I do not want to simply be TOLERATED (damn, I hate that word). It sounds like some bad odor that you can't do anything about, so you just suffer through it.

[KinkaidAlum]

I don't like to have to tolerate things either!

What stupid group starting falling in love with this word.

I have beliefs and convictions.

I have all the free will I want to dispise the actions of others.

There are things we all hate or disagree with that doesn't make us fanactical.

Unless we behave in unrational acts that infringe on others.

so call me a hater.

or call me a free thinker.

I am intolerant and i am ok with it.

its not always a bad thing

And having a sticker that says truth not tolerance. How does that promote intolerance

Did you use to star in the muppet show?

[Highway6]

i love how being tolerant comes with *don't have to tolerate those less tolerant than you.

At least those that don't profess to have the 'tolerant' label arent fooling themselves.

[RedScare]

[westguy76]

Did you use to star in the muppet show?

????

over my head i guess.

[Highway6]

????

over my head i guess.

No kidding....Mine too...

Statler & Waldorf were equal-opportunty hecklers.. not intolerant. And as much as they heckled all the acts, they were always back every week in the best seats of the house supporting the show.

So what ever the hell point he was trying to make... ya got me.

[westguy76]

No kidding....Mine too...

Statler & Waldorf were equal-opportunty hecklers.. not intolerant. And as much as they heckled all the acts, they were always back every week in the best seats of the house supporting the show.

So what ever the hell point he was trying to make... ya got me.

yeah someday I'll be a grumpy ole son of a beach, but at 31 now I'm just a prick

[Toggle3]

Tolerance is overrated.

Loads of people shouldn't be tolerated. Men who beat women---not going to tolerate them. Pedophiles---no tolerating them. Socialists/Nazis/Facists/--not going to tolerate their nonsense. People who would never utter the n-word but hate whites--intolerable.

Parrothead made an excellent point:

Flying a Mexican flag, driving around with a bumper sticker of a Mexican flag, painting a store in Mexican flag colors or sporting a Mexican flag in any context whilst on American soil is a hostile, anti-America statement.

The issue isn't whether they have the right to make that statement by flying their little flags. The issue is the hostility of their message....the hatred and disrepsect Mexicans have for America. It shouldn't be tolerated.

And apparently the issue is now also the hatred some posters espouse against white Americans. When did it become okay to be hateful racists? Stop being racist against white people. It's wrong and disgusting. You wouldn't do that to Jews would you? How about Asians?

And those of you who wrote "whitey", (I hereby decree it the w-word) go back and replace it with the word "______" instead and see after replacing w-word with the n-word, you still feel comfortable posting your hate. Shame on you.

Just goes to show that diversity does cause misery.

[TJones]

Toggle, are you SERIOUSLY offended by the term "Whitey" ? You may be the first whiteman in America to so be. That's just me speaking from the whiteman's perspective.

btw. I totally agree, the waving of another country's flag in your front yard, unless you are an embassy, is a blatant attempt at being offensive, and should be considered a hostile act, it is NOT a matter of pride. I don't wave the Mississippi state flag in my frontyard because that is where I was born. I liken the Mexican flag to waving the Confederate flag in one's frontyard.

I disagree with not having the use of the C-word ! That is how you can end the conversation with a woman you want NOTHING to do with anymore.

[Toggle3]

The w-word is offensive, hurtful and causes me great emotional distress. I can only hope Al Sharpton can get someone fired because of its use.

The HAIF censor needs to censor the w-word forthwith.

[TJones]

The w-word is offensive, hurtful and causes me great emotional distress. I can only hope Al Sharpton can get someone fired because of its use.

The HAIF censor needs to censor the w-word forthwith.

You need another drink. How about the word Honky ? What are your feelings on that, or Cracker. I giggle if and when i have ever heard it, it just makes the one saying it, that much more upset. A racist remark only works if you let it.

[Toggle3]

You need another drink. How about the word Honky ? What are your feelings on that, or Cracker. I giggle if and when i have ever heard it, it just makes the one saying it, that much more upset. A racist remark only works if you let it.

You giggle when you hear hate speech? Giggle? Do you laugh out loud when people are being dragged behind trucks then? Slap your thighs in glee when gays are bashed?

Racist remarks are racist remarks whether or not you are bothered by them. Hate speech is unacceptable. Period.

[TJones]

You giggle when you hear hate speech? Giggle? Do you laugh out loud when people are being dragged behind trucks then? Slap your thighs in glee when gays are bashed?

Racist remarks are racist remarks whether or not you are bothered by them. Hate speech is unacceptable. Period.

Toggle, there is a double standard, which I will readily accept. Do you honestly think it would be considered a "hate crime" if 3 black guys dragged a white guy behind a truck in say Sunnyside ? You could NEVER get that to stick, because Jesse and Al would be here in a New York minute with a press conference. They would tell you that Crack...., 'scuse me, I mean whiteguy shouldn't have been down there in the first place.

Sorry, what I meant was, I giggle when someone of another race wants to call ME whitey or whiteboy or cracker. If words like that bother you, you need professional help. I find it utterly hilarious, because they know those words truly have no effect on me or you for that matter when they use them, they wish those words cut, but they know they really don't.

I am the MODEL for which white suburbanite males are held up to be, barring a few dozen extra pounds, I am an Aryan wetdream my friend. Don't you know that we are the SUPREME Race ? Geeezzzz! LOL! Of course I am just kidding, a little, but no, racist remarks directed toward me make me laugh, because I know that the person using them have nothing to cling on to when directed at me. Of course, anyone that takes a look at me, would never even consider using a racist remark toward me, because it just doesn't apply. Judging this book by it's cover, is dead on everytime.

Are you suggesting that NOW, because we are a minority, that we shouldn't have to suffer the slings and arrows of what are considered racist remarks of the Majority race ? You need to lighten up, How often are you having racial slurs being thrown at you ? Let's try to figure out WHY someone would want to call you these words.

[jmancuso]

You giggle when you hear hate speech? Giggle? Do you laugh out loud when people are being dragged behind trucks then? Slap your thighs in glee when gays are bashed?

Racist remarks are racist remarks whether or not you are bothered by them. Hate speech is unacceptable. Period.

"whitey" does not have the connotations or the history as n****r or f****t used against blacks and gays.

[moni]

I am an old white lady and of course I have my prejudices just as everyone does. The thing I really dislike, is "political correctness". When did this lousy idea emerge anyway? I hate it. I believe in calling a spade a spade and if your audience doesn't like it, they can take a hike. However, rules are rules and some very liberal minded individuals have decided what we should and shouldn't say. We can disagree, but the rules say that we must abide by the rules or we just may offend someone. Isn't that a load of crap? We used to have freedom of speech, what happened?? Well, that is how I feel anyway. I hate pc. And, to answer your question Parrothead, that tacky Mexican Flag would have offended me too. I have friends of all races and creeds and I enjoy the differences in people, but class is class and no class bugs the hell out of me. Oh, excuse me!

[VicMan]

Toggle, there is a double standard, which I will readily accept. Do you honestly think it would be considered a "hate crime" if 3 black guys dragged a white guy behind a truck in say Sunnyside ? You could NEVER get that to stick, because Jesse and Al would be here in a New York minute with a press conference. They would tell you that Crack...., 'scuse me, I mean whiteguy shouldn't have been down there in the first place.

TJones, if THAT happened during a race riot, then an accusation of a hate crime could easily stick. Otherwise, if the motive appears to be plain robbery, then charges of hate crimes would never be proven.

[Jeebus]

You giggle when you hear hate speech? Giggle? Do you laugh out loud when people are being dragged behind trucks then? Slap your thighs in glee when gays are bashed?

Racist remarks are racist remarks whether or not you are bothered by them. Hate speech is unacceptable. Period.

I'm giggling at your melodramatic posts. If you're a white guy, feel privileged that the worst racial epitaph ever thrown at you have been terms like whitey, honkey, or cracker.

It could be a lot worse, just ask the next (insert: black, hispanic, or gay-guy; or any kind of girl) you see.

[VicMan]

I have an idea on how to deal with "cracker" -

"Am I a Ritz? A pretzel? A graham?"

The only name I remember being called was "gaijin" in Japan by one schoolgirl in Kamakura. I replied, "American" as a way of correcting her, but I am not sure if she understood that. I should have said "Amerika-jin" with a Japanese (i. e. simplified) pronunciation.

[Guest Marty]

This is starting to sound like "Ban the N word" thread.

[TJones]

TJones, if THAT happened during a race riot, then an accusation of a hate crime could easily stick. Otherwise, if the motive appears to be plain robbery, then charges of hate crimes would never be proven.

Vic, he was making a reference to what happened in Jasper a few years ago. I was giving him the same scenario, without a whole group being involved. This is in relation to a single event. Not any kind of riot, just a random nonsensicle act of violence. I always compare apples to apples.

Vic, here is a good example of what you were talking about, it doesn't always stick. Sometimes, the charges aren't even brought up about RACE.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Oliver_Denny

If you want to read about the events that led up to the riot, well here, you will read that the reverse is true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_King

There is simply a double standard, that we, white America, are responsible for and we are trying very hard to atone for, since I must dutifully pay for the sins of my forefathers, I will do so in order to save my family's good name. I am guessing that we might make a little headway by say 2265 ? I figure 200 years of atonement can hopefully make a dent for 200 years of oppression. So, we got plenty of time.

moni, calm down woman, egads ! No need to get all rialed up. I am sure Toggle knows that you have to love yourself first, before you can love everybody else, and just accept that there are idiots in the world that will try any means necessary to promote a racist agenda. Look how it has worked for the Rev. Al and Quanell for the past 20 some odd years ?

[VicMan]

Vic, here is a good example of what you were talking about, it doesn't always stick. Sometimes, the charges aren't even brought up about RACE.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Oliver_Denny

TJones, my AP Euro teacher (an African-American) saw that on TV. He thought that the people hitting him "were going way too far." In a way the incident disconnected him from the more "militant" advocacy groups.

[TJones]

TJones, my AP Euro teacher (an African-American) saw that on TV. He thought that the people hitting him "were going way too far." In a way the incident disconnected him from the more "militant" advocacy groups.

I saw it all unfold as well when it happened Vic. Did you ask your AP Euro teacher if he thought it was a hate crime , or just some random people trying to execute another person ? Does your Euro teacher feel that the riots were justified UNTIL they started beating Denny? These perpetrators weren't ANY kind of militant group, unless you consider gangbangers militants now.

Think about this for a second. Ask yourself WHY the people were rioting, and do you think they would have pulled someone of their similar color from his truck to give them a Watts beatdown ?

[VicMan]

I didn't have to ask that question - He knew that the attackers were angry African-American men hitting a White man because of his race - My teacher disapproved of the actions of the men.

I never asked him if he felt the riots were justified, but I figured he would say no too - The attack was an outgrowth of the riots.

I saw it all unfold as well when it happened Vic. Did you ask your AP Euro teacher if he thought it was a hate crime , or just some random people trying to execute another person ? Does your Euro teacher feel that the riots were justified UNTIL they started beating Denny? These perpetrators weren't ANY kind of militant group, unless you consider gangbangers militants now.

Think about this for a second. Ask yourself WHY the people were rioting, and do you think they would have pulled someone of their similar color from his truck to give them a Watts beatdown ?