English and the US

[MICHAEL A. IVIE]

I have sat upon my hands, trying not to get into this, but Joe L.'s
last overcame my better judgement.

Having traveled extensively in both France and Latin America, I can
say without doubt that the idea the "English" is resented is XXXXXa bad
wordXXXX.  What is resented is idiot English-speakers that expect someone
in a non-English speaking country to speak English to them.  There is
a huge difference!!!  I have been treated uniformly well, while murdering
the noble French and Spanish languages, but I see many Anlgo-phones (and
NOT just USA citizens either) simply start speaking English, and if not
immediately understood, try speaking English louder.  This is what leads
to resentment!  For those who think the French are rude about this, try
walking down the street in New York City and address someone in French!
The French can't come close to that level of rude!  Yet, that is what
they are responding to.

This is why Anglophones need to, like all other peoples, learn a second
language.  This is why I am against an English-only provision.  It allows
people with the about mentioned behaviors to succeed, and get away with
being narrow and ignorant.  Now, however, if they are going to do it,
learn one that has a culture to go with it!  Esperanto and Latin simply
don't.  There is nowhere you can travel using those languages primarily.
Therefore, they are great for novelty (and Esperanto is suprisingly
easy!) but otherwise, there are better uses of ones time.

If people don't want to use the language of the big, overpowering,
threatening, and patricarcal USA, why not use the language of a small,
black country ruled by a concensus building woman, and one with no
military abilities?  I suggest Dominica's language -- English.

Mike Ivie