In a tongue and cheek reply to a friends E-mail regarding the last school shooting in Oregon I suggested that I had a simple solution to this problem. I responded with the E-Mail below:

I have a much simpler solution that would also save tax payers a LOT of money. It would also address these school shootings at all levels. The solution is simple: Just shut down all school systems! It would save people (especially those like you and me without kids) a shit load of money. It appears that kids don't seem to learn anything in them anyway.

As Archie Bunker would say: "This is the kind of straight forward convoluted thinking that made this country great!"

I am curious as to what kind of simple solutions that you may come up with? This could be fun, if taken in the proper light?

 

Or you could use Archie Bunker's solution that he came up with to deal with hijackers on planes just give everybody a gun.

 

I should make it clear this is NOT my train of thought in any sense I'm just stating this is what Archie Bunker would suggest.

 

Like most things the answer is never simple, usually because the question is complicated. Reduce the question and you'll have one or more simple solutions.

Black's Law dictionary has over 50 definitions of evil (actually 92 but some are compound words). Google "evil" black's law dictionary. Legalbill will tell you that is a very credible source in quoting law. From there it gets even more complicated.
We enter into the zone of subjectivity, I think that in it's fundamental definition evil is not complicated. Now we're down to our conscience and that is determined by our environment and our ability to comprehend. Much of it comes back to individual social interaction and perceived rejection within a culture. Tough subject that sometimes requires a tough answer.

PROZAC for EVERYONE!!!!!

I'm sorry the other thread closed, I thought there were some good thoughts within.

fltsfshr

PS I'm bbqing ribs and content.

 

I am an AVID fan of Formula One auto racing. I just finished watching the F1 race from Sochi, Russia that I had recorded this morning. For those of you that do not know, F1 is the second most popular spectator sport in the world, next only to Soccer. F1 is broadcast to over 140 countries world wide.

English is the "official" language of F1. Like all international Air Traffic Control, all communication from the teams to the driver must be in English. All of the signage was in English, as were the interviews at the end of the race, which did not have a single American driver (as Alexander Rossi, the American driver was there to compete in GP2 not F1 this weekend).

With that stated: I was reminded that back in 2010 on my last trip to Poland for business, I witnessed a good example of English as the "international language of business". A Japanese business man walked up to the LOTT (the Polish airline) employee at the desk and asked his question in English and received his answer in English.

The question is why am I ranting about this? The answer is: I just do not understand why here in the United States the "powers that be" have decided to go multi-lingual with dual signage, etc in English and Spanish? Knowing human nature, people will take the "path of least resistance" and not learn English. Considering that Social Scientist predict that by the year 2050 that 50% of the population of the USA will be of Hispanic background, I really have to question their motive of not making it easier for the Hispanic population to learn the "International language of business". I for one am happy that I do not have children that will have to compete in mid 21st Century. The only good news as I see it I will be dead by then.

 

The US has a long brutal history of trying to eradicate multilingualism in the population. The history of our separating the Native American children, and forbidding them from learning and speaking their native languages, is appalling. Unfortunately we did not facilitate their learning English AND maintaining the language of their pre-Colombian cultures. Many native populations that now still speak their inherited non-European language have only a few native speakers left in the tribe, but most have none, and the language is now extinct; and essentially so is the culture.

It has long been known that the immigrant families who enter the United States from countries speaking a language other than English become native English speakers within three generations, with the first generationtypically learning English as a second language and becoming US citizens. The second generation is typically bilingual and the third generation is most often monolingual in English and no longer speak the language of their ancestral heritage.

The majority of US residents who "do not speak English very well" were born in a Spanish speaking country. The large majority of Hispanics born here speak English in growing degrees.

http://www.pewhispan...-among-latinos/

While the US population of citizens and residents of Hispanic background is increasing, that is not a 'bad' thing; particularly since a large portion of the country was once in Mexico. And that prediction does not say that the population increase of Hispanic people to 50% will mean that they will speak monolingual Spanish. On the contrary, bilingualism is on the rise among Hispanics, in spite of the failure of our school system to produce widespread bilingual competence among the general population.

Language is not just for 'international business". And not all Americans are international pilots. America rightfully promotes cultural diversity and understanding. It allows for the spirit of community that a common language promotes within cultural groups. That is a good thing.

So, Matt, instead of promoting a fear of difference, (and instead of dying young -- before those horrible Spanish speaking bilinguals take over the country) why not learn another language, say Spanish, and become a bilingual speaker, just like a huge majority of the educated population of the earth? Promoting monolingualism for English speakers makes it easier for us to continue the clichėd chauvinism that particularly Americans are sometimes known for. Speaking a single language, no matter which, does not make us better people; but it does tend to make it more difficult to understand other cultures and peoples. And it sometimes even contributes to the kind of religious and cultural intolerance that leads to internecine violence and war.

BTW, English is safe here on these shores. English is not going anywhere.

 

^ It is a shame that foreign languages are no longer taught in many (most?) high schools in the US, or at least are not a requirement for graduation. I have a language background myself (French, Spanish, Russian), starting when I lived three years in France when I was young. I enjoy using them when I get the opportunity here or abroad and interacting with those who speak other languages. For the record, French used to be the international business language. Many of the people I see around here are Spanish speaking, so I say a few words to them in Spanish by way of greeting or whatever. It doesn't mean they don't know English. I like the connection and I think they appreciate it, too. My hairdresser is Lebanese and we speak French sometimes. The DC area is an international community, so many languages are spoken, not just Spanish. Not recognizing other languages to me promotes isolationism, which is unhealthy for our planet. I could be in a minority with that opinion, though (except for my buddy Jim - ).

 

^^ I agree with both of you. When I was in high school at least one year of a foreign language was a requirement for graduation. Sadly I have forgotten almost all the Spanish I learned. It would come in handy today. I have no issue with the immigration of Hispanics to America and Jim and I often wonder who did all the "grunt" work before they came. It would seem they are hard working, family loving people. We have "adopted" a young man and his cousin who do a lot of work here for us. Without their willingness to take on all these things, we'd be hard pressed to find someone willing to do the work for a reasonable sum. Milino speaks some English and laughs (hard) at my attempts to use a little Spanish. He and Rey clean my gutters, work in my yard, keep all my bushes trimmed and do any other outside work I ask them to do. On Milino's recommendation we really enjoy a Mexican restaurant nearby and the staff has "adopted" us and always, always, give Jim a fried ice cream dessert. We have often observed that these people probably love our country even more than we do. I cannot imagine the hardships they've endured to be here, find work, support their families, abide by laws written in a language they barely know and then on top of that deal with the bigotry and prejudice of those who resent their presence. I've heard some of the rednecks whine that they're taking "our jobs". Forgive me, but if you wanted to do the jobs these guys are willing to do for cents on the dollar that you would charge, then you'd have the jobs instead of them. That's my rant.

 

You should all learn and speak French...
Problem solved...

 

Je trouve que nécessaire uniquement pour assister à des matchs de hockey à Montréal.