Michigan to ban the word America & American?

[OklahomaTuba]

Holy crap! WTF is wrong with these people? :eek:

Censoring the word "America" from our own schools is something Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden would never have thought possible. Michigan has done it without a whimper.

In perhaps a well-intentioned, but pernicious example of political correctness, the Michigan Department of Education is attempting to ban the "America" and "American" from our public schools.

Even though the word "America" appears in the department's own civics and government benchmarks, the department's style protocol for the Michigan Education Assessment Program requires that "America" and "Americans" be expunged from our testing and grade level expectations.

Last week, the department ordered that our hard-working teachers not utter the words.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060524/OPINION01/605240307/1008

[yermom]

i blame Scott D

[StoopTroup]

We should censor the word Teacher from public schools and rename them Attendence Takers.

[Sooner_Bob]

We should rename school kitchen cooks to ready to eat food distributors.

[TUSooner]

Let's be blunt: Historically, we U.S. Americans are the most kicking-a$$est, best educated, most conservative, most liberal, most religious, most profane, most inclusive, most racist, most talented, most obnoxious, most generous, most selfish, most hard-headed, most modest -- most EVERYTHING bunch of any kind of Americans you want. Sure, there are other kinds of "Americans" but we are the BIG ONES baby !! We got it all, good & bad. If you say "American " to folks in far corners of the planet, they will think about US. If we want to call ourselves "American" without any directions or hyphens, we effing deserve it because that's how it IS.

[mdklatt]

The Department of Education asserts that "Americans" includes Mexicans, Canadians and others in the Western Hemisphere, so referring to U.S. residents as Americans is inappropriate.

Which hemisphere is the US in????? :confused: x 50



In the department's view, "America" happens to include South, Central and North America

Which continent is the US on????? :confused: x 100


Quick, somebody buy the Michigan Board of Education an atlas!

[StoopTroup]

I am now going to consider myself a "Superpowerunit".

[yermom]

we should call Mexicans Mexican-American-North Americans

[mdklatt]

we should call Mexicans Mexican-American-North Americans

Racist.

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

I say we call them Dirty Gringos

[SicEmBaylor]

Can I get three huzzahs for eliminating public education?

[Octavian]

The counterargument (of which I do not subscribe) goes something like this:

Non-US residents of the North-Western Hemisphere deserve the title of "American" just as much as US residents.

This was a point reiterated by several pro-immigration proponents here in D.C. at the rallies. They repeatedly used the term "American" as a way to justify their peoples' steady influx into US territory and flatly rejected the notion that American meant "person of the United States." It was more of a PR-spin campaign to turn illegal immigration opponents' arguments on their heads....a way of saying that borders in the North-Western Hemisphere were pointless and the term "American" reinforced the useless nature of those borders.

Again, I disagree...and FWIW, TU's post in this thread is incredibly spot on and, IMO, completely correct.

[StoopTroup]

we should call Mexicans Mexican-American-North Americans
What about Mexican People awaiting Deportation Screening or Mexi-pads?

[royalfan5]

Can we just give Michigan to Canada? They already elected a real Canuck as gov.

[Scott D]

Can we just give Michigan to Canada? They already elected a real Canuck as gov.

to be fair, she won't be governor a year from now.

[royalfan5]

to be fair, she won't be governor a year from now.
You guys should elect the brother of the lead singer of the Knack this time, who was/is Kevorkian's lawyer.

[Scott D]

You guys should elect the brother of the lead singer of the Knack this time, who was/is Kevorkian's lawyer.

Actually it'll be former State Rep Dick DeVos who is running on a platform of getting rid of the backwards SBT that we have here.

[mdklatt]

The counterargument (of which I do not subscribe) goes something like this:

Non-US residents of the North-Western Hemisphere deserve the title of "American" just as much as US residents.



Which still doesn't explain why we why can't also be Americans anymore. :confused:

In my HS Spanish class we learned that even in Mexico they collectively call USAmericans and Canadians norteamericanos, even though Mexico is technically part of North America too. This has nothing to do with anything, but it seemed like a good time to bring it up.

[royalfan5]

Actually it'll be former State Rep Dick DeVos who is running on a platform of getting rid of the backwards SBT that we have here.
Is he one of the Amway Devoses?

[Scott D]

Is he one of the Amway Devoses?

he's THE Amway DeVos


Richard "Dick" DeVos, Jr. is a businessman and politician from Michigan. The son of billionaire Amway founder Richard DeVos, he is currently a candidate for Governor of Michigan.

Until 2002, DeVos was the head of Alticor, where he pioneered the nearly $5 billion company’s expansion into dozens of markets around the world, a decision that has made Alticor a global powerhouse. In 2000, DeVos oversaw a corporate restructuring that created Alticor, the new parent company of predecessor Amway, Access Business Group, and Quixtar. Although sanctioned in a 1979 ruling, Amway has been investigated and cleared by the Federal Trade Commission for suspicion of pyramid scheme violations.

[BigRedJed]

I think the reason we're known as "Americans" is because "America" is in the name of the country itself. There aren't any other countries that utilize the word in their name; it's as simple as that. Ergo, if you're from Canada, you're a Canadian. If you're from Peru, you're Peruvian. Guatemala; Guatemalan. I think "American" just evolved as shorthand for "citizen of the United States of America." I don't think it was ever designed to be exclusionary.

It's entirely correct to refer to someone from Canada or the U.S. as "North American" or someone from Ecuador as "Central American," or an Argentinian as "South American."

But "American" is, I think, universally accepted as being more specific. It describes someone from the United States. I really don't think other countries generally have a problem with this. For whatever reason, they chose not to honor Amerigo Vespucci in their country's name, which is fine. Doesn't make them any better or any worse.

Really just a headscratchingly moronic example of P.C. gone awry.

[Scott D]

oh and anytime something like a Dept. of Education needs a consultant...they are beyond help anyhow.

[royalfan5]

he's THE Amway DeVosWould he start making Michigan recruit other states for money-making amway schemes? If Nebraska got in on the Ground floor of that, maybe we could build a big fence between us and Kansas.

[mdklatt]

he's THE Amway DeVos

If you vote for him imagine how much money the state will save on cleaning supplies.

[olevetonahill]

TU and Jed hit it spot on :cool:

[Scott D]

Would he start making Michigan recruit other states for money-making amway schemes? If Nebraska got in on the Ground floor of that, maybe we could build a big fence between us and Kansas.

heh I doubt it. he'd outsource Kansas to Beijing.

[mdklatt]

he'd outsource Kansas to Beijing.

Sounds like a good start. :texan:

[royalfan5]

heh I doubt it. he'd outsource Kansas to Beijing.
He's got my vote.

[Scott D]

Basically he wants to transition Michigan from a manufacturing workforce to a white collar workforce. It'll be interesting to say the least....especially with the low opinion I have of the education system (well prior to this little flap).

[royalfan5]

Basically he wants to transition Michigan from a manufacturing workforce to a white collar workforce. It'll be interesting to say the least....especially with the low opinion I have of the education system (well prior to this little flap).
Maybe he should promise to kick Michael Moore out of Michigan too. I wouldn't think it could hurt. I would think that finding enough white collar jobs to replace the auto-makers would be a Yanich.

[Half a Hundred]

I think the reason we're known as "Americans" is because "America" is in the name of the country itself. There aren't any other countries that utilize the word in their name; it's as simple as that. Ergo, if you're from Canada, you're a Canadian. If you're from Peru, you're Peruvian. Guatemala; Guatemalan. I think "American" just evolved as shorthand for "citizen of the United States of America." I don't think it was ever designed to be exclusionary.

It's entirely correct to refer to someone from Canada or the U.S. as "North American" or someone from Ecuador as "Central American," or an Argentinian as "South American."

But "American" is, I think, universally accepted as being more specific. It describes someone from the United States. I really don't think other countries generally have a problem with this. For whatever reason, they chose not to honor Amerigo Vespucci in their country's name, which is fine. Doesn't make them any better or any worse.

Really just a headscratchingly moronic example of P.C. gone awry.

Add to that, people who think English should be like Spanish (gee, I wonder who...). In Spanish, "americano" means any inhabitant of the Western Hemisphere (there also is one continent of "America" with the subdivisions "America del Norte/Norteamerica" and "America del Sur/Sudamerica"). However, as these people have seem to forgotten, because English-speaking people have a different history with the Western Hemisphere, "American" in English refers to people who live in the United States. These idiots need to realize they are speaking a different language, and that classifications are inevitably going to differ based on the perspective.

[Stoop Dawg]

I know of a guy who insists that you refer to items by their generic names instead of brand names. If you say "Please pass me a Kleenex" he will ignore you or correct you. You should say "Please pass me a tissue". Since "Kleenex" is a brand its use is inappropriate.

I'm sure he thinks he's smart. Everyone else thinks he is an idiot.

Same story here.

[Octavian]

Aren't we all giving the State of Michigan (SicEm's arguments aside) a little too much credit also?

I mean, c'mon....Bo Schembechler (who never won an NC), Steven Seagal, Thomas Dewey, Ted Nugent, Steven Segal, and Michael Moore....

A night of drinkin' says Meetchicken ain't worth worryin' about :D

[Widescreen]

we should call Mexicans Mexican-American-North Americans
That reminds me of a few years ago when Jay Leno's wife, when trying to describe the different types of people in Africa, used the terms "White Africans" (like in South Africa) and "African American Africans". She couldn't bring herself to say Black Africans.

I...kid...you...not.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I accidentally called myself Indian this week.....Stupid Native American

[soonerhubs]

The PC crap has really gone too far. Is balance a word people struggle with or what?

[mdklatt]

I know of a guy who insists that you refer to items by their generic names instead of brand names. If you say "Please pass me a Kleenex" he will ignore you or correct you. You should say "Please pass me a tissue". Since "Kleenex" is a brand its use is inappropriate.

I'm sure he thinks he's smart. Everyone else thinks he is an idiot.



I would go with *********. What if you want an actual Kleenex? What if it's a Xerox brand photocopier? Sometimes a coke really is a Coke.

[olevetonahill]

I know of a guy who insists that you refer to items by their generic names instead of brand names. If you say "Please pass me a Kleenex" he will ignore you or correct you. You should say "Please pass me a tissue". Since "Kleenex" is a brand its use is inappropriate.

I'm sure he thinks he's smart. Everyone else thinks he is an idiot.

Same story here.
Want a coke ?
Sure !
What kind ?:)

[SicEmBaylor]

Aren't we all giving the State of Michigan (SicEm's arguments aside) a little too much credit also?

I mean, c'mon....Bo Schembechler (who never won an NC), Steven Seagal, Thomas Dewey, Ted Nugent, Steven Segal, and Michael Moore....

A night of drinkin' says Meetchicken ain't worth worryin' about :D

There you go again...
Everyone is always putting my arguments "aside." Typical. ;)

[SelmaBamaFan]

Want a coke ?
Sure !
What kind ?:)



Gimme a #3 with a coke
We have Pepsi?
Yeah, that's what I said...

[TUSooner]

I think the reason we're known as "Americans" is because "America" is in the name of the country itself. There aren't any other countries that utilize the word in their name; it's as simple as that. Ergo, if you're from Canada, you're a Canadian. If you're from Peru, you're Peruvian. Guatemala; Guatemalan. I think "American" just evolved as shorthand for "citizen of the United States of America." I don't think it was ever designed to be exclusionary.
It's entirely correct to refer to someone from Canada or the U.S. as "North American" or someone from Ecuador as "Central American," or an Argentinian as "South American."

But "American" is, I think, universally accepted as being more specific. It describes someone from the United States. I really don't think other countries generally have a problem with this. For whatever reason, they chose not to honor Amerigo Vespucci in their country's name, which is fine. Doesn't make them any better or any worse.

Really just a headscratchingly moronic example of P.C. gone awry.

That's what I was gonna say.

In England, Canada, France, Mexico, Guatemala, or Brazil (etc.) I am an American. But not in Michigan ??

[mdklatt]

In England, Canada, France, Mexico, Guatemala, or Brazil (etc.) I am a yank, yanqui, or gringo.

;)

[OUstudent4life]

I accidentally called myself Indian this week.....Stupid Native American

The Daily Oklahoma used the phrase "American Indian" last week. I haven't heard that one in a while.

[Pricetag]

We should censor the word Teacher from public schools and rename them Attendence Takers.
Let's not turn our fury towards the teachers. This has "administration" written all over it. These things happen when you have a high-paying job to do basically nothing.