# Majority Opposed To Teaching Arabic Numerals **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 14, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975 "2019-05-14T22:38:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/1 "2019-05-14T22:38:52Z")
[Life in the Age of Trump](https://triblive.com/news/roman-numerals-anyone-poll-suggests-bias-against-arabic-numerals/): > [@](#): > > When CivicScience, a Pittsburgh-based market research firm, polled more than 3,200 Americans on the issue of mathematics instruction last week, 56% of the respondents said Arabic numerals should not be taught in American schools; 29% said it should be part of the curriculum, while 16% offered no opinion… ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/2 "2019-05-14T22:45:51Z")
I’m surprised that I’m not surprised by the poll. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/3 "2019-05-14T22:52:44Z")
Obviously people prefer Roman numerals. I, myself, am a bit slow reading them… ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/4 "2019-05-14T22:57:42Z")
I have some bad news for the 56%… ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/5 "2019-05-14T23:00:11Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I have some bad news for the 56%… LVI% ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/6 "2019-05-14T23:02:46Z")
Was this because of that plot line on Veep? I mean, did the people who conducted this poll watch Veep and get the idea from there? Life imitates art, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/7 "2019-05-14T23:11:13Z")
So Civic Science has basically reduced itself to a version of Jay Leno’s “Jaywalking”, is my take away from that article. Says more about them than the people who don’t remember some obscure lesson they were taught back in third grade. This was just some bull shit tactic to get people to imply: “Muslims are bad. Mmmkay?” ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/8 "2019-05-14T23:28:03Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > Was this because of that plot line on Veep? I mean, did the people who conducted this poll watch Veep and get the idea from there? Life imitates art, I guess. It could be the neurological effects of dihydrogen monoxide exposure. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/9 "2019-05-14T23:34:29Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > It could be the neurological effects of dihydrogen monoxide exposure. I was once totally into that. The experience left me breathless. But the hard stuff left me cold. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/10 "2019-05-14T23:35:11Z")
Remember freedom fries? Introducing freedom numerals: 1,2,3,4,5,6,… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/11 "2019-05-14T23:35:28Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > So Civic Science has basically reduced itself to a version of Jay Leno’s “Jaywalking”, is my take away from that article. This annoys me as much as those ‘sign this petition to remove dihydrogen monoxide’ or ‘are homo sapiens worth saving’. hurr durr durr. Let’s show the internet how dumb people are. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/12 "2019-05-15T00:00:28Z")
I oppose the teaching of French numerals. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9rmBqIFeHN8/maxresdefault.jpg "Counting to 100 in French with a NYC Cabbie") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rmBqIFeHN8) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/13 "2019-05-15T00:06:51Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > It could be the neurological effects of dihydrogen monoxide exposure. You beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/14 "2019-05-15T00:19:48Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > This was just some bull shit tactic to get people to imply: “Muslims are bad. Mmmkay?” Imply? Ignore for a moment the ignorance aspect. If you asked the same people if “Texas Numerals” should be taught in class, do you honestly think there would be much objection? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/15 "2019-05-15T00:37:16Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Imply? Ignore for a moment the ignorance aspect. If you asked the same people if “Texas Numerals” should be taught in class, do you honestly think there would be much objection? Sure, because Texas Numerals only go up to 7. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/16 "2019-05-15T00:38:40Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Imply? Ignore for a moment the ignorance aspect. If you asked the same people if “Texas Numerals” should be taught in class, do you honestly think there would be much objection? I think we are in agreement. I doubt very many would object to “Texas numbers” being taught. Maybe I articulated it poorly. It’s just a shady way to get people to admit to their own prejudices. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/17 "2019-05-15T00:43:37Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > It’s just a shady way to get people to admit to their own prejudices. Can any way that gets people to admit their own prejudices be considered “shady”? ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/18 "2019-05-15T00:51:46Z")
A tougher question is should students be allowed to go algebraless in the classroom? ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/19 "2019-05-15T00:55:00Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > LVI% +I ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/20 "2019-05-15T01:02:11Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Says more about them than the people who don’t remember some obscure lesson they were taught back in third grade. No it doesn’t. I agree it’s a little like Leno but these assholes are letting their bigotry outrun their stupidity. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975.md?page=2)