Facebook Follies of Friends and Families

[The Brain]

Hitler was too legit and he lost.

Hmmm... Well, I suppose Dönitz still had a decent chance, so I guess Hitler did in fact quit.

[garbon]

[Razgovory]

This is really an odd way to spin all this.

I am stating factual information. They are the guardians of this cultural institution but have nothing besides informal authority. Like the College of Arms in the UK or something.

Or the EPA science advisor board.

[Valmy]

Or the EPA science advisor board.

More like the um...actually I don't know if we have any of those kinds of goofy things. Even the Texas Historical Commission has regulatory powers.

[garbon]

Getting this thread back on track.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/racist-swimming-pool-poster-sparks-8298931

'Racist' swimming pool poster sparks outrage on Twitter after 'portraying black children as not cool'


A swimming pool poster has been branded 'racist' on social media for allegedly portraying black children as 'not cool'.

The 'water safety' poster, by the American Red Cross , shows a group of youngsters engaging in various activities at a pool .

It labels them 'cool' or 'not cool' depending on whether behaviour adheres to the site's rules, including no pushing others in the water.

However, it has sparked outrage on Twitter after apparently disproportionately portraying young black swimmers as 'not cool'.

One user, John Sawyer from Washington DC, US, declared the Red Cross should replace the poster because 'the current one... is super racist'.

Another user, Matt Hickman, tweeted: "Seriously, RedCross? Behaving white kids are 'cool'; children of color depicted as misbehaving/'not cool' #racism."

And one remarked: "So nobody saw this poster and thought it looked unbalanced?"

Speaking to 9 News , Margaret Sawyer also said she was stunned by the humanitarian organisation's poster after spotting it at two different pools.

The mum, who was accompanied by her young children on at least one of the instances, said: "I thought 'It must be really outdated. This can't possibly be a recent poster'."

When she realised it was wrong, she said she 'felt really angry'.

The Red Cross has since apologised for the poster, which is titled 'Be Cool, Follow The Rules'.

In a statement , the organisation said: "The American Red Cross appreciates and is sensitive to the concerns raised regarding one of the water safety posters we produced.

"We deeply apologize for any misunderstanding, as it was absolutely not our intent to offend anyone.

"As one of the nation's oldest and largest humanitarian organizations, we are committed to diversity and inclusion in all that we do, every day.

"To this end, we have removed the poster from our website and Swim App and have discontinued production.

"We have notified all of our partner aquatic facilities requesting they take down the poster."

It added: "Our organization has emphasized to our partners and on social media that it was absolutely not our intent to offend anyone and apologized for this inadvertent action."

[Razgovory]

Or the EPA science advisor board.

More like the um...actually I don't know if we have any of those kinds of goofy things. Even the Texas Historical Commission has regulatory powers.

The EPA science advisor board doesn't have regulatory powers.

One question though:  If I were a schoolboy in France and had to write a paper, if I were to use spellings and grammar contrary to that of the State funded dictionary, would I be penalized?

[Valmy]

One question though:  If I were a schoolboy in France and had to write a paper, if I were to use spellings and grammar contrary to that of the State funded dictionary, would I be penalized?

They put grammar in the dictionary? Weird.

No idea but generally misspelling things is frowned upon. However I also don't think every teacher has a copy of the dictionary sitting next to them when they check each paper.

The EPA science advisor board doesn't have regulatory powers.

It is also not set up as some kind of national cultural institution.

[Razgovory]

C'mon now Valmy, I know you have a hard-on for the French but this is to much.

[Valmy]

C'mon now Valmy, I know you have a hard-on for the French but this is to much.

I know you have these fantasies of this fascist French gestapo state but it just is not so

[Razgovory]

C'mon now Valmy, I know you have a hard-on for the French but this is to much.

I know you have these fantasies of this fascist French gestapo state but it just is not so

No, I merely see a people convinced of the absolute superiority of their own culture, obsessed with imagined slights, and a distaste for pluralism.  But do go on, tell me about how the state institutions devoted to the purity of their language aren't really state institutions devoted to purity of their own language.

[Valmy]

No, I merely see a people convinced of the absolute superiority of their own culture, obsessed with imagined slights, and a distaste for pluralism.

Their identity is based on their culture. That does not necessarily mean they think it is superior, at least not these days. I never got that impression once in all my time there. I don't get the imagined slights since you seem to be the one obsessed with them.

Not every country is into the multi-cultural thing. But there are almost 200 countries in the world. If you want to get along in France you have to adopt the culture and become French. But then that is what they tried to the people in their empire: make them all into Frenchmen. Which, in some ways, is more admirable than considering them all racially inferior.

But do go on, tell me about how the state institutions devoted to the purity of their language aren't really state institutions devoted to purity of their own language.

I have explained it many many many times. It is a state institution devoted to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, similar institutions exist in many countries in the world. Also it is one of those weird ancient institutions that has propagated through the centuries, it is not like they would create such a thing today. Again like the College of Arms in Britain.

[Razgovory]

No, I merely see a people convinced of the absolute superiority of their own culture, obsessed with imagined slights, and a distaste for pluralism.

Their identity is based on their culture. That does not necessarily mean they think it is superior, at least not these days. I never got that impression once in all my time there. I don't get the imagined slights since you seem to be the one obsessed with them.

Not every country is into the multi-cultural thing. But there are almost 200 countries in the world. If you want to get along in France you have to adopt the culture and become French. But then that is what they tried to the people in their empire: make them all into Frenchmen. Which, in some ways, is more admirable than considering them all racially inferior.

But do go on, tell me about how the state institutions devoted to the purity of their language aren't really state institutions devoted to purity of their own language.

I have explained it many many many times. It is a state institution devoted to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, similar institutions exist in many countries in the world. Also it is one of those weird ancient institutions that has propagated through the centuries, it is not like they would create such a thing today. Again like the College of Arms in Britain.

You keep pointing out the College of Arms in Britain.  Do they publish an official dictionary for Britain?  Is that Dictionary found in schools?  Does children's homework routinely rely on adherence to that dictionary?

I can't help but think you are trying to pull a fast one on me.  Sure the French Academy doesn't have the ability to coerce, they only publish a dictionary.  Of course the Dictionary informs French usage public schools which are required.  I do understand that the French don't like multiculturalism, and that's a black mark against them.  And their intolerance of other cultures within France is not limited to immigrants, but to people who have lived in France for centuries.  The French government has historically refused to even admit that other languages even exist in the country (as Zoupa so smugly pointed out), and made systematic efforts to destroy these languages.  Compare this to Canada where French is not only tolerated but given equal footing as English.

[DGuller]

  Can we put an end to this?  Raz, you're right.  Valmy, you're also right.

[Valmy]

You keep pointing out the College of Arms in Britain.  Do they publish an official dictionary for Britain?  Is that Dictionary found in schools?  Does children's homework routinely rely on adherence to that dictionary?

I could point out dozens of similar institutions around the world for the preservation of culture. There are many classes in many schools that require you to learn and conform to certain cultural practices.

But I am not aware of the particular spelling and dictionary atrocity and outrage you are referring to. Granted trying to learn how to spell things in French is generally an atrocity.

I can't help but think you are trying to pull a fast one on me.

I think you are such a hateful bigot that you hold the French to an absurdly high standard. If they do not meet that unreasonable standard they are inferior in your eyes. Which is fucking idiotic considering what a fucked up place Missouri is.

Sure the French Academy doesn't have the ability to coerce, they only publish a dictionary.  Of course the Dictionary informs French usage public schools which are required.

Ok and we have a curriculum board in Texas which regulates how every fucking thing is taught. Including English. Hey Missouri does as well. So government agencies should not inform what is taught in public schools? What should do so then? I mean setting up a curriculum is not the same as forcing everybody in your country to hold those views. And further more I am not even sure the extent the dictionary informs schooling.

I do understand that the French don't like multiculturalism, and that's a black mark against them.

Many people don't like multi-culturalism. Because it tends to destroy cultures and make everything rather generic. That is cool over here, we destroy and eat cultures for breakfast, but over in the old world they based their entire nation states around it.

And their intolerance of other cultures within France is not limited to immigrants, but to people who have lived in France for centuries.  The French government has historically refused to even admit that other languages even exist in the country (as Zoupa so smugly pointed out), and made systematic efforts to destroy these languages.  Compare this to Canada where French is not only tolerated but given equal footing as English.

Well they didn't think of it that way. But you cannot bring up 19th century practices and then pretend that Canada has always embraced French. Also comparing old world and new world countries is inherently dishonest in things like this. They are based on totally different things.

[Valmy]

Can we put an end to this?  Raz, you're right.  Valmy, you're also right.

Are we compelling you to read this thread or something?