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Oct. 25th, 2001 08:45 am
Language usage in debate
<rant>
As I peruse random LJ users, often linked from another of my "friends", I notice something. Those who tend to espouse highly extreme viewpoints do so with very poor English skills. I'm willing to give a lot of slack to folks for whom English is not their primary language, of course, but a frightening number of Americans seem incapable of remembering something as simple as, "I before E except after C."
Honestly, if you're going to try to convince others (or the world at large) of the correctness of your views, doing so in language that would make a sixth-grade teacher cry is not a good way to do it. I have a very difficult time believing that you are capable of forming an informed opinion on a subject if you can't spell "which" for example. Since so few of these people will listen to opposing views, no matter how simply and logically explicated, I assume this rant will fall on deaf ears. So be it.
</rant>
As I peruse random LJ users, often linked from another of my "friends", I notice something. Those who tend to espouse highly extreme viewpoints do so with very poor English skills. I'm willing to give a lot of slack to folks for whom English is not their primary language, of course, but a frightening number of Americans seem incapable of remembering something as simple as, "I before E except after C."
Honestly, if you're going to try to convince others (or the world at large) of the correctness of your views, doing so in language that would make a sixth-grade teacher cry is not a good way to do it. I have a very difficult time believing that you are capable of forming an informed opinion on a subject if you can't spell "which" for example. Since so few of these people will listen to opposing views, no matter how simply and logically explicated, I assume this rant will fall on deaf ears. So be it.
</rant>
