# 15 year old idiot of the week **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 22, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783 "2005-03-22T21:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/21 "2005-03-23T12:29:21Z")
I guess this is the new PC: “Patriotic Correctness”. Any time you don’t like something, just whine about how it’s disrespecting America and we’ve got soldiers at war, dammit. I must say, though, that AFAICT from the article, the school’s response was a model of principled common sense. They’re going to continue broadcasting the foreign-language versions of the Pledge as planned, but preceded by the English version, in order to reassure the clueless sector. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/22 "2005-03-23T12:52:18Z")
As a side note, a town councilman was recalled in Estes Park last night because he wouldn’t say the Pledge of Allegiance before meetings. This [article](http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2777151,00.html) is from the Denver Post. This comment struck me as especially telling: > [@](#): > > “If you don’t want to say the Pledge, you should leave the country,” Neering said. I don’t get it, isn’t this the land of the free? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/23 "2005-03-23T13:02:56Z")
> [@TonyF](#): > > What’s wrong with you people? We got soldiers at war, and you’re beating up on this kid when he just wants to hear the good old pledge in our official language. Is it a crime to love America now? I hope you had your sarcasm voice on for this post. You \*do \*know there is no “offical” language in the USA, right? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/24 "2005-03-23T13:04:08Z")
Gah! But there is an official spelling for the word official. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/25 "2005-03-23T13:33:57Z")
Seems to me that making people recite the Pledge of Allegiance in foreign languages is a pretty good step in indoctrinating the world. If the Nikes and McDonald’s didn’t get them, this will. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/26 "2005-03-23T13:35:13Z")
The weird thing is, I could easily see _non-Americans_ getting all offended by having the Pledge recited in their languages. Smacks of imperialism, you know? Turning the whole world American? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/27 "2005-03-23T13:49:58Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > Heh. It’s _Glen Burnie_. They should get children–and adults, while they’re at it–interested in a better grasp of English first. I’m betting that this moron begins each day with “I pledge of a legionce.\*” \*Full version: I pledge of a legionce To the flag Of a United States of America And to the Republican For which it stands With amber waves of purple majesty Invisible Underdog Deliver us from freedom Amen ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/28 "2005-03-23T13:54:14Z")
> [@Campion](#): > > This cracks me up. Does precious know that some of those “soldiers at war” speak first languages other than English or were taught languages other than English by our armed forces so that they could be of value during war (and peace, for that matter)? Clearly not. I have a (Indian) friend who defied his family to join and go overseas. His first language is most definitely not English. Just one case among many. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/29 "2005-03-23T14:08:05Z")
My (Anglo) kids have memorized the pledge in Spanish; they recite it in both English and Spanish at every morning assembly. How would our man Linton would feel if he knew that? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/30 "2005-03-23T14:15:11Z")
Poor kid. He’ll just have to wait for National Intolerace and Ignorance Week. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/31 "2005-03-23T14:16:51Z")
Hmm, the school pupils need two years of foreign language study in order to enter the University of Maryland? Why shouldn’t they need two years of foreign language study _anyway_? I mean, even those who have no plans to go to university? Oh well, one happy smug kids with a few days of school and his name in the newspapers. Blech. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/32 "2005-03-23T14:23:42Z")
Oho, I just had an amusing thought. Now, isn’t Maryland the state that uses the tune of the German song “O Tannenbaum” (sorry, unsure how to type the umlaut) for its state song/anthem (sorry, unsure of the correct terminology)? That being the case, isn’t it fun to consider how this boy will huff and puff whould hhe ever hear anyone singing "The Red Flag2 to that very same tune? Tee hee hee. Yes, I know that “The Red Flag” was not originally written for that tune but for “The White Cockade”, but I might be willing to bet a few pennies that this boy doesn’t know that. Ha Ha and thrice ha! ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/33 "2005-03-23T14:26:37Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > …Oh well, one happy smug kids with a few days of school and his name in the newspapers. Blech. ☹ Celyn needs to study English more. That ought to be one kid (singular) ad a few days _off_ school. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/34 "2005-03-23T14:26:43Z")
I think that saying the pledge in a Glen Burnie accent does it more damage than any foreigner can, and I live there. And I need to use that kid’s reasoning next time I’m in a fix, or just feeling crabby: \*Cop: \*“Mr. Shakespeare, do you know how fast you were going?” _Me:_ “Hey, we’re at war – we got soldiers over there!!” > [@UrbanChic](#): > > Heh. It’s _Glen Burnie_. They should get children–and adults, while they’re at it–interested in a better grasp of English first. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/35 "2005-03-23T14:27:10Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I have a (Indian) friend who defied his family to join and go overseas. His first language is most definitely not English. Just one case among many. What, he speaks Hindi? I find that offensive. Why would he speak a language that no one understands? Don’t you realize that there’s a war on? We’re there to remove Osama bin Hussein from oppressing millions of new American Christians. They should all be punished for 9/11, the damned cow worshippers. Stupid Indians and other Irackuiees should be bombed until they learn what freedom is all about. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/36 "2005-03-23T14:45:46Z")
There are a lot of 15 year old idiots (y.o.i.), and only 52 weeks in the year. Even if we label him the idiot of the day, that’s only 365 15 y.o.i. who get recognized. It’s not like 15 y.o.i. have to be pushed to perform acts of idiocy; naming just 52 or even 365, however, might push them to perform acts of grand idiocy. The last thing I need is for my son to try to compete for the accolade _15 Year Old Idiot of the Week_. There was a poll on that story? I "meh"ed it so fast I didn’t see the poll. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/37 "2005-03-23T15:20:45Z")
What the kid and his dad seem not to notice is that the school translated the Pledge into other languages as part of **Foreign Languages Week!!**. In an increasingly globalized world, I see nothing wrong with encouraging our sadly monolingual populace to learn to speak the languages used in the rest of the world. How on earth is that unpatriotic? Now if the kid were protesting that he shouldn’t have to speak Amharic or Tigrinya in order to buy something at 7/11, he might have a point. > [@Tdn](#): > > What, he speaks Hindi? And I’m offended by your offense. Why do you discriminate against Gujarati, Marathi, Telegu, Malayalam, Tamil, Urdu, Assamese, and Konkani? ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/38 "2005-03-23T15:30:17Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > There are a lot of 15 year old idiots (y.o.i.), and only 52 weeks in the year. …The last thing I need is for my son to try to compete for the accolade _15 Year Old Idiot of the Week_. Kudos. This post elicited a real life laugh. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/39 "2005-03-23T16:11:39Z")
> [@gobear](#): > > And I’m offended by your offense. Why do you discriminate against Gujarati, Marathi, Telegu, Malayalam, Tamil, Urdu, Assamese, and Konkani? I don’t know, but I suddenly have a craving for a samosa and some shrimp korma. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783/40 "2005-03-23T17:23:00Z")
I think my favorite part is when he had to be told what language the pledge was recited in on Tuesday. How hard is it to have some sense of what French sounds like?? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-idiot-of-the-week/295783.md?page=3)