News-Record.com

The North Carolina Piedmont Triad's top go-to source for News
A service of the News & Record, Greensboro, North Carolina

Home

Off the Record

« Edwards' new home invites some envy | Main | Whose level playing field? »

Waking up

If some of the anti-football students at Guilford College boo their team next season, will they be charged with verbal abuse?

I was glad to see workers pouring cement for sidewalks on East Kivett Drive in High Point this morning. A lot of people walk along the very narrow shoulders of that busy road. Soon, they won't be in mortal danger. Now, what about all the other busy streets in High Point and Greensboro that lack sidewalks?

What's wrong with saying the Pledge of Allegiance in languages other than English? Nothing, as far as I'm concerned, but Charlotte-Meck Superintendent Peter Gorman has decreed English-only when the Pledge is spoken at graduations and other official events. Come on, what ever happened to E Pluribus Unum? Or will that have to be translated into English in Charlotte-Meck schools?

Comments (3)

To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.

Stormy said:

"If some of the anti-football students at Guilford College boo their team next season, will they be charged with verbal abuse?"

Probably, and we can expect that the kid with the "Stop Hate" bandanna to reappear and be on the front page of the News-Record, right? And, I expect that the TRC will hold investigatory meetings on it as well.

Jim Langer said:

How long will we survive in this new century as a leading nation economically and culturally if we refuse to have our children, not to mention ourselves, become able to communicate in more than one language?

The Statue of Liberty, by the way, is based on the avenging, progressive figure of "Liberté" in paintings and sculpture in France arising from the 18th and 19th century revolutions and communes. She's usually shown with a gun in one hand (or sword, more classically near her own roots in Greek art's Nikes or Victory) and the tricolors in the other. The Italian-born sculptor, living in France in the 1800's when it was given to the US as a centennial gift, meant it as a steadfast warning, not the all-embracing motherish figure it became with the addition of the poem much later on the base. She still has a kinda mean look on her face. Or at least stern.

Doug said:

Stormy, we'll see.

Jim, agreed. While I think English should always remain our principal language, we must communicate with others around the world in other languages. At the very least, it's good manners to be able to converse at a rudimentary level with locals when visiting or doing business in their countries.

Post a comment

Users who post comments to this blog tacitly agree to observe the News & Record Online Service Terms of Use and Content Submission Agreement. Comments which do not adhere to the terms of this agreement may be removed and the submitter may be banned from further participation. Please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page to report abuse of this feature.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Search

Channels
Font Size
Tools
Question, Comment or Suggestion? Please contact us.

News & Record and NRinteractive

200 E. Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27401 (336) 373-7000 (800) 553-6880
1813 N. Main Street, High Point, NC 27262 (336) 883-4422
203 E. Harris Place, Eden, NC 27288 (336) 627-1781
4213 S. Church Street, Burlington, NC 27215 (336) 449-7064

Copyright (C) 2008 News & Record and Landmark Communications, Inc.