The Guardian Says Correcting Grammar Is Racist; Expression Of White Privilege

[nightflight]

Filed under "guess what's racist now".

“It doesn’t take much to see the power imbalance when it comes to grammar snobbery. The people pointing out he mistakes are more likely to be older, wealthier, whiter, or just plain academic than the people they’re treating with condescension. All too often, it’s a way to silence people, and that’s particularly offensive when it’s someone who might already be struggling to speak up,” concludes Chalabi.

http://www.dailywire.com/news/5145/video-guardian-says-correcting-grammar-racist-robert-kraychik

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Whew. At first I though this was going to be about the grammar of American minorities.

 

[Chesterton]

Makes perfect sense that they don't want good grammar. They want them unemployable. They want a permanent underclass to love and cherish and be their tool.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Makes perfect sense that they don't want good grammar. They want them unemployable. They want a permanent underclass to love and cherish and be their tool.

You are so correct. Our whole education system is set up to provide workers for the rich and powerful few. This is apparent as there are no classes in "Success" in any school that I know of.

 

[Oafman]

Filed under "guess what's racist now".



http://www.dailywire.com/news/5145/video-guardian-says-correcting-grammar-racist-robert-kraychik

I can't see it. Could you please highlight the part where the Guardian describes grammar correction as racist.

 

[The Cadet]

The article seems to have very little to do with the video.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

Grammar is the only thing standing between humanity and utter savagery. We have trouble understanding what people mean as it is, if we add poor grammar on top of that...
Every written piece and every voice should be judged on the content it is trying to convey. To do this, we must exclude bias and make sure everyone understands each sentence in a similar manner, hence the need of grammar.

 

[The Cadet]

Grammar is the only thing standing between humanity and utter savagery. We have trouble understanding what people mean as it is, if we add poor grammar on top of that...
Every written piece and every voice should be judged on the content it is trying to convey. To do this, we must exclude bias and make sure everyone understands each sentence in a similar manner, hence the need of grammar.

The first example she brought up in the video was "less" vs. "fewer".

 

[Four Angels Standing]

Makes perfect sense that they don't want good grammar. They want them unemployable. They want a permanent underclass to love and cherish and be their tool.

It provides the inroad to false altruism when social services are employed to help those poor ignorant unfortunates who are made lesser class because the rules to rise above don't apply. Because if they were to, it would be racist.

I too thought this was going to be another hit on American society.
But wait, it'll come. White privilege is a racist slur, but that's to be overlooked because, well, its The Guardian reporting, considered much like that of The National Enquirer in America in matters of journalistic integrity. And because the lack of melanin pigment, the least the better able to opine the majority are privileged to outnumber people of color.

You're pale! You're privileged! You should be ashamed! *wags finger authoritatively*
[That probably hurt-ed someones feelins, but if they like-ted what I wrote before that part it's OK]

 

[Oafman]

hence the need of grammar.

Did you mean 'the need for grammar'?

Savage.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

You are so correct. Our whole education system is set up to provide workers for the rich and powerful few. This is apparent as there are no classes in "Success" in any school that I know of.

Well, that could be a small aspect...but I think the big thing that's really watered down our educations system is this "everyone has to have the equal outcome", "everyone gets a participation medal", "no one person can be singled out from the pack (in a positive or negative way) because feelings might get hurt" sort of mentality.

It wasn't as bad when I was in school (I'm 32 now, so a lot has changed in the last 15-20 years)


It seems like the "no winners and no losers" model hit the scene about 10 years ago. I remember it was when my youngest brother was in high school that they stopped posting the honor & merit roll student lists in the hallway and giving them awards publicly at assemblies because some parents complained that it was "making other kids feel bad".

Nothing like teaching kids something that's the complete opposite of the way life is going to be when they leave school and enter the adult world...

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

Did you mean 'the need for grammar'?

Savage.

I used 'of' in the manner ' in reference to'. My grammar was impeccable.

 

[HannahT]

Grammar snobs are that way to everyone, and not just to certain groups. Although - Current Lingo snobs do the same thing.

I find it fantasying that people can claim they know the people's intent and motivation all the time, and feel the need to put people in groups to make their points...and lol not label themselves.

Younger - you need to keep up with the current lingo snobs - tend to do the same things she is speaking about. They speak to you with condescension, and then to treat you as stupid because you don't know the lingo. Then tend to become offensive after they claim they gave you the definition when you ask for clarification.

Grammar snobs and Current lingo snobs both tend to do the same thing, and thank goodness they are in the minority.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

The first example she brought up in the video was "less" vs. "fewer".

Less and fewer means subtlely different things. Less implies something less than a whole, a portion, there are less children in the room than the school assembly for instance. Fewer denotes a juxtaposition between a larger and a smaller amount, not necessarily implying a proportion one to the other.

In common parlance it makes little difference, but have you seen how much meaning is wrung from minutiae of grammar in the gospels on some of these forums? In matters of importance, your grammar must be correct or you will easily be misconstrued.

UPDATE
I am of course referring to the implication of these words being used interchangeably in the same sentence, which changes the meaning of the sentence subtlely and not the actual definitions of less and fewer.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Grammar snobs are that way to everyone, and not just to certain groups.

Sure...I would agree with that.

However, I think there's a big difference between making an accidental grammar/spelling error, and intentionally misspelling words and using incorrect phrasing because "it's cool".

I guess the topic could be viewed as having racial undertones merely for the fact that in popular culture, rap music seems to be the biggest offender in this regard.

 

[Ophiolite]

Less and fewer means subtlely different things. Less implies something less than a whole, a portion, there are less children in the room than the school assembly for instance. Fewer denotes a juxtaposition between a larger and a smaller amount, not necessarily implying a proportion one to the other.

In common parlance it makes little difference, but have you seen how much meaning is wrung from minutiae of grammar in the gospels on some of these forums? In matters of importance, your grammar must be correct or you will easily be misconstrued.

Your use of less and fewer is incorrect.

Less is applicable to continuous quantities: there is less water in the reservoir this summer, I get paid less than I did in my old job.

Fewer is applicable to discrete quantities: there are fewer places available in the class; there were fewer rainy days in May.

Another illustration: There were fewer rainy days in May and this contributed to less rainfall for the month.

I agree with you on the importance of grammar. I hope you will accept my corrections in that spirit.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

Your use of less and fewer is incorrect.

Less is applicable to continuous quantities: there is less water in the reservoir this summer, I get paid less than I did in my old job.

Fewer is applicable to discrete quantities: there are fewer places available in the class; there were fewer rainy days in May.

Another illustration: There were fewer rainy days in May and this contributed to less rainfall for the month.

I agree with you on the importance of grammar. I hope you will accept my corrections in that spirit.

Yes, I realise those are the correct usages. If you watch the video, they mention it as well. I was referring to the usage of less and fewer replacing each other in the same sentence, ungrammatically, as the person in the video did. For in that usage the implication of the sentence changes, the meaning is not equivalent if you substitute one for the other. I see that I was not clear in my post, I apologise.

 

[Ophiolite]

Yes, I realise those are the correct usages. If you watch the video, they mention it as well. I was referring to use of less and fewer in the same sentence, ungrammatically, as the person in the video did. For in that usage the implication of the sentence changes, the meaning is not equivalent if you substitute one for the other. I see that I was not clear in my post, I apologise.

Excellent. I confess I had not yet viewed the video. Had I done so I expect your point would have been clear. Thank you.

 

[The Cadet]

White privilege is a racist slur

Do you think that, all other things being equal about you, you would have a harder or an easier time if you were black instead of white?

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Do you think that, all other things being equal about you, you would have a harder or an easier time if you were black instead of white?

If I may chime in (even though I know your post was a reply to someone else)...

The issue many take with the expression "White Privilege" isn't so much about a denial of the fact that, on average, a Black person will experience more adversity in their life than a White person will in the United States...I think arrest rates, education data, income data, etc... all make that pretty apparent.

The issue is that it's often used hand-in-hand, or sometimes interchangeably, with the implication that, somehow, all present-day white people share in the responsibility & blame for that situation.

...at least that's the personal objection I have to the expression. "Black Disadvantage" more accurately describes the situation...The expression "you have White Privilege" is attempting to take that a step further by making the conscious effort to create a public perception that "if you're white, you're at least partially responsible for this situation"

If you have two homeless people, one is simply homeless...the other is homeless AND had a life threatening disease, you certainly wouldn't use the word "privilege" to describe the first guy.