and so begins the demise of america

[Hell Raiser]

Yep - and this is my point.

To SS69, Ebonics looks and sounds ridiculous. To Brits, American English looks and sounds ridiculous (I mean, you invented a new, two-syllable word for "tap". "Tap"!). American English is obviously an evolution of English and, as such, is a valid language. Ebonics is obviously an evolution of American English and, as such, is a valid language. He's only resistant to it because it represents change.

American English has evolved apart from English and, in that time, the US has become the world's dominant superpower. There is little reason to assume that if it continues to evolve, the country will go down the pan.

Your views are always so damn dim.Is there something in the water over there jolly old England or what??
I think there is a big diffrence between what the Americans did to the English language and what what these morons want to do in the form of Ebonics.These two are not on the same plain

 

[Famine]

Yeah... Tell that to the Most Winningest coach who writes his aunt about the fawcet in his trunk...

*shivers*

 

[Hell Raiser]

Yeah... Tell that to the Most Winningest coach who writes his aunt about the fawcet in his trunk...

*shivers*

Dude,you are funny

 

[smellysocks12]

Ebonics is not a language. Kids who want to speak all this garbage are plain old morons. I hate shorthand and it always irritates me upon listening to incorrect english. Anyone can be a moron. I don't understand why ebonics has to be linked to black people. I feel that most of "these" black people are just ignorant and too proud for their own damn good. What in God's name could possibly be keeping them from communicating in and speaking english as well as possible? They are. That's the answer, short and sweet.

English doesn't need to change, they do. If they can't, then tough.

Your reply doesn't make sense and makes you sound racist. Ebonics is slang, in certain areas certain people simply don't speak perfect English. You could say the same about the average redneck hillbilly participating in rodeo's on a daily basis. The English they speak is far from perfect, so why only ***** about 'ebonics'? Not to mention 'ebonics' doesn't even exist. People in the Bronx use different slang than someone from Compton. It isn't a language though, a dialect if anything. So the idea to make it an official language IS retarded, but to say that people who speak it are retarded is nonsense.

 

[ledhed]

This is all I have to add ;

http://www.funnyjunk.com/pages/ebonics.htm

 

[Danoff]

So the idea to make it an official language IS retarded, but to say that people who speak it are retarded is nonsense.

The people who speak it are retarded.

(doesn't sound nonsensical to me)

 

[smellysocks12]

The people who speak it are retarded.

(doesn't sound nonsensical to me)

Well, I guess most of the USA is retarded then because most people speak a dialect which differs from standard English.

 

[xcsti]

I agree with smelly that it is much more of a dialect, but unlike european areas it isn't based only on demographic but also age and race.

My main problem is that unlike languages, which change relativly slowly, ebonics are rewritten every time snoop dog releases an album(foo shizzle a good enough example?).

 

[SS69]

Your reply doesn't make sense and makes you sound racist. Ebonics is slang, in certain areas certain people simply don't speak perfect English. You could say the same about the average redneck hillbilly participating in rodeo's on a daily basis. The English they speak is far from perfect, so why only ***** about 'ebonics'? Not to mention 'ebonics' doesn't even exist. People in the Bronx use different slang than someone from Compton. It isn't a language though, a dialect if anything. So the idea to make it an official language IS retarded, but to say that people who speak it are retarded is nonsense.

This is exactly what i was about to say. If you're going to consider "ebonics" a language, then why not do the same for southeners(sp?) who say "y'all" and for northerners who say "fuhgedaboutit" and for canadians who say "aboot?"

 

[Omnis]

Your reply doesn't make sense and makes you sound racist. Ebonics is slang, in certain areas certain people simply don't speak perfect English. You could say the same about the average redneck hillbilly participating in rodeo's on a daily basis. The English they speak is far from perfect, so why only ***** about 'ebonics'? Not to mention 'ebonics' doesn't even exist. People in the Bronx use different slang than someone from Compton. It isn't a language though, a dialect if anything. So the idea to make it an official language IS retarded, but to say that people who speak it are retarded is nonsense.

First of all, how the HELL do I come off as racist in my post? I specifically state that it doesn't take a black man to be an ignorant moron. What I meant by "These" is just that...the people mentioned in the article. Wow, they just happen to be black. What does that have to do with learning english? you learn with your mind, not your skin.

Race isn't real. It's a mere tool used in Colonialism. We're well past that era, and by now race should be the last thing on our minds; something that shouldn't even matter anymore. Believe me, it doesn't. Culture is one thing, but that doesn't limit any one human's potential.

People can speak whatever the hell they want, I don't give a damn. However, when put in a classroom situation or when trying to communicate to others in proper English, I don't see why others should be forced to compensate for their trivial failures. You all seem to be forgetting that English, as taught, is Formal English...as used in writing and reading. Speech isn't formal, though it can be and is when making an address or etc. I certainly know that ebonics and "redneck" aren't formal. Thus, it is pretty much irrelevent. It just sounds to me like these people have the knowledge, but no respect or dedication to the language...and that's just disappointing. That's the case in what I've found, anyway.

These people have the ability to better themselves. They're not mentally handicapped. I'm only attacking them because they're putting themselves at a disadvantage, and I'm attacking the school district for regressing to that level as well. An "Ebonics applied to English" class would be utterly pointless, as a proper teacher should be applying the lesson relative to what students already know. But what do you call that, anyway? English Class.

 

[Danoff]

Well, I guess most of the USA is retarded then because most people speak a dialect which differs from standard English.

It's not a dialect.

 

[Swift]

So the idea to make it an official language IS retarded, but to say that people who speak it are retarded is nonsense.

The idea that you can talk that way and expect to make more then minimum wage, entertainment industry not included, is retarded.

Omnis wasn't being racist at all. he was just stating it how it was. Most of the people that use ebonics are black. That's just a simple fact. So calling a spade a spade isn't racist.

 

[Danoff]

I always thought that the first part of ebonics was for ebony. Is that not true?? Am I way off here?

 

[Swift]

I always thought that the first part of ebonics was for ebony. Is that not true?? Am I way off here?

Don't ask me bud. I'm black. But I'm not ignorant enough to talk like that.

 

[Danoff]

Don't ask me bud. I'm black. But I'm not ignorant enough to talk like that.

Of course not - not many people are.

 

[James2097]

The funny thing is that there are white kids listening to hip-hop records in Aus and trying to speak in ebonics to seem cool, but they can't do it properly, and always revert to proper english because of their private school education... I see them all the time on the tram! So its the opposite I guess!

 

[Duke]

Your reply doesn't make sense and makes you sound racist. Ebonics is slang, in certain areas certain people simply don't speak perfect English. You could say the same about the average redneck hillbilly participating in rodeo's on a daily basis. The English they speak is far from perfect, so why only ***** about 'ebonics'? Not to mention 'ebonics' doesn't even exist. People in the Bronx use different slang than someone from Compton. It isn't a language though, a dialect if anything. So the idea to make it an official language IS retarded, but to say that people who speak it are retarded is nonsense.

It makes perfect sense, and he's not racist. Yes, it's a dialect of sorts. But nobody's proposing to teach people of other American speech modes as if English was their second language.

I'm from the Mid Atlantic (Philadelphia area). I've been to the Northeast (NYC, Boston), the Midwest (St. Louis, Chicago, Minneapolis) the South (Atlanta), and the West (San Diego). Everybody in those places (including me) spoke with an accent and with certain expressions or word choices.

But I never had a minute of difficulty understanding them, no matter what their background. So if the people under discussion can't make themselves understood to the point that English must be considered their second language, then yes, they're retarded.

American English is no more broken up into dialects than English English, and considerably less so with Irish and Scottish English thrown in. Plus we have the disadvantage of a country that took weeks or months to traverse into this century.

 

[Swift]

The funny thing is that there are white kids listening to hip-hop records in Aus and trying to speak in ebonics to seem cool, but they can't do it properly, and always revert to proper english because of their private school education... I see them all the time on the tram! So its the opposite I guess!

Nothing funnier then someone trying to act like somebody else. It's not a white-black thing. It's an educational/ignorance thing.

BTW, I can't stand the way rap makes is seem "smart" to talk like you have no sense.

 

[PS]

This is exactly what i was about to say. If you're going to consider "ebonics" a language, then why not do the same for southeners(sp?) who say "y'all" and for northerners who say "fuhgedaboutit" and for canadians who say "aboot?"

As a Canadian, I have never personally experienced someone say "aboot" instead of "abowt". That's just stupid, I don't even know where it came from. And northerners don't say "fughedaboudit", Italian-Americans living in Jersey usually do. Taking all your words and making them sound as though they're all joined as one is a trait of the Italian language, as most of Italian just rolls off your tongue as one longass word.

 

[Swift]

Taking all your words and making them sound as though they're all joined as one is a trait of the Italian language, as most of Italian just rolls off your tongue as one longass word.

Yeah, but it's still a prettier language then English.(not that I can speak it )

 

[PS]

The funny thing is that there are white kids listening to hip-hop records in Aus and trying to speak in ebonics to seem cool, but they can't do it properly, and always revert to proper english because of their private school education... I see them all the time on the tram! So its the opposite I guess!

As much as I don't want to use the term here, those people are referred to as "wiggers".

 

[PS]

Yeah, but it's still a prettier language then English.(not that I can speak it )

Exactly, but so many people see a mob movie and assume everyone from New York is of Italian decent, it's just dumb. It's like assuming everyone from California has a bit of Spanish or Japanese in them.

 

[Cosmic]

Nobody beat Dave Chapelles dialect! I love that guy and his show

 

[smellysocks12]

It makes perfect sense, and he's not racist.

I said he made himself sound racist because of saying that people who speak 'ebonics' are retarded. It is racist to say this, while not calling people who speak other types of slang retarded as well.



Besides that if someone can only speak a certain type of slang it still doesn't mean they're retarded, probably not very educated, but being retarded doesn't mean uneducated.

 

[Omnis]

I said he made himself sound racist because of saying that people who speak 'ebonics' are retarded. It is racist to say this, while not calling people who speak other types of slang retarded as well.



Besides that if someone can only speak a certain type of slang it still doesn't mean they're retarded, probably not very educated, but being retarded doesn't mean uneducated.

stop misquoting me. your argument is already invalid. I never called anyone retarded, you did.

 

[sicbeing]

Ever listen to some of the these rap stations on the radio? If you sat down with a piece of paper with their lyrics on it, and read it, you would quickly realize it doesn't make one damn bit of ****ing sense whatsoever. Theres a 'phat' beat in the backround that repeats 20,000,000 times with yelling and screaming and guys making noise over it.

Thats why I don't listen to music with lyrics most of the time. And when I do it's at least complete sentences.

Lil john, and every "musician" with the word lil' in front of their name, disgust me, and how they make so much money for doing nothing but bull****ting around, makes my eyes teary.

And I'm not against Rap either, I don't mind back in the old school hip hop lyrics or music, but today's junk is just remix after remix of the worst music I've ever heard in my life.

And no, I'm not white.

 

[PS]

I said he made himself sound racist because of saying that people who speak 'ebonics' are retarded. It is racist to say this, while not calling people who speak other types of slang retarded as well.



Besides that if someone can only speak a certain type of slang it still doesn't mean they're retarded, probably not very educated, but being retarded doesn't mean uneducated.

He never said that, and it's not what it means anyway. Anyone can speak "ebonic", it doesn't make me black.

 

[smellysocks12]

Ever listen to some of the these rap stations on the radio? If you sat down with a piece of paper with their lyrics on it, and read it, you would quickly realize it doesn't make one damn bit of ****ing sense whatsoever. Theres a 'phat' beat in the backround that repeats 20,000,000 times with yelling and screaming and guys making noise over it.

Thats why I don't listen to music with lyrics most of the time. And when I do it's at least complete sentences.

Lil john, and every "musician" with the word lil' in front of their name, disgust me, and how they make so much money for doing nothing but bull****ting around, makes my eyes teary.

And I'm not against Rap either, I don't mind back in the old school hip hop lyrics or music, but today's junk is just remix after remix of the worst music I've ever heard in my life.

And no, I'm not white.

You just said it... rap station. The rap on radio and tv these days sucks, it's pure garbage... mcDonalds type of music, disposable fast food garbage. This isn't a good representation of hiphop or rap in general though. Anyway, I don't think the way someone says something makes one retarded, it is WHAT they say that makes them retarded.

 

[smellysocks12]

He never said that, and it's not what it means anyway. Anyone can speak "ebonic", it doesn't make me black.

Anyone can speak ebonic, the wannabes who do it to look cool are retarded, yes. But if someone grew up in an environment where everyone around them speaks the same type of slang that can't be retarded. We all speak the way our parents and friends do, if you wouldn't have had anyone close to you speaking proper English, you wouldn't speak it either.


I never said that the person who said that is racist, just said that the comment was. Maybe if he would have explained what he meant it wouldn't have sounded racist.



Btw I'm white and I don't speak ebonics, do listen to hiphop, the good type of it...

 

[sicbeing]

You just said it... rap station. The rap on radio and tv these days sucks, it's pure garbage... mcDonalds type of music, disposable fast food garbage. This isn't a good representation of hiphop or rap in general though. Anyway, I don't think the way someone says something makes one retarded, it is WHAT they say that makes them retarded.

I agree on the "WHAT they say" retard arguement.

The rap now adays just talks about how big bootys are, how much gold they have on their teeth, how they act they when walk up in da club, or how they pimp them hoes, or whatever.

Teachers should have their salaries multiplied tenfold if some guy talks about how he gets high into a microphone and gets nothing but money for it.

Whatever makes the money... I guess.


-edit-

Not all rap is like that, just to clear that up. Usher, eminem, and some others are examples.