Worldview Thought of the Day
Here is something for any activists, leftists, progressives, or socialists who might come across this weblog or post to consider. None of the following terms:
Et cetera…
refer to race. Yes, I mean none of them. Ever. Muslims are not a race. Jihadis are not a race. Heck, if you want to get really technical, Arabs are not even really a race (in the modern sense, it’s a nationality, but that gets into the question of what a race is anyway; something for another post).
Because none of these terms refers to race, someone who speaks out against them is not, therefore, racist. Bigoted perhaps, but not racist.
What I suggest, then, is that all of you activists, leftists, progressives, and socialists out there who like to feel bad on other peoples’s behalves (please do not apologize for them) go out and get educated before you start accusing people of something they are clearly not guilty of.
Perhaps if you were educated rather than just feeling bad, someone might listen to your point.
Just a bit of helpful advice,
PS: Also, “Muslim’s” is possessive. “IED’s” is possessive. “Racist’s” is possessive. I don’t know what “1980’s” even is, but it’s (yes “it’s” is the contraction of “it is”. “Its” is the possessive form of “it”, just like “his” is the possessive of “he”) wrong.
The correct plurals, respectively, are “Muslims”, “IEDs”, “Racists”, and “1980s”.
Don’t believe me? Check any writing guide you happen to have handy. I recommend Elements of Style or the Bedford or St. Martin’s Guides (note that “St. Martin’s” is possessive, not plural).
There you go. Two lessons for the price of one.
You’re welcome.
Lack of punctuation intelligence comes about when we are not taught such things in school.
Besides, if people keep doing it that way, it will eventually become the right way to do it, right?
It occurs to me that lack of punctuation intelligence is a subset of a far greater lack of intelligence possessed by people who think that feeling bad for someone is a good way to help them. They also feel that calling people names is an effective way to change their minds.
I blame this all on the dismal education most students receive from the public education system that prizes social awareness and being nice over knowing the difference between a racist and a bigot or the difference between a possessive and a plural.
Fortunately, such people tend to learn very quickly when real life finally catches them, although sometimes being caught kills them first.