[PLUG-TALK] Re: [PLUG] Sounds good to me ;)

J Henshaw jeff at jhenshaw.com
Mon Jun 17 16:56:11 UTC 2002


----- Original Message -----
From: "John Hampton" <John.Hampton at gijoes.com>
To: <plug-talk at lists.pdxlinux.org>
Sent: Monday, June 17, 2002 11:40 PM
Subject: RE: [PLUG-TALK] Re: [PLUG] Sounds good to me ;)


Scott said:
>It isn't so obvious that it hits you?  If you can't read English, you can't
>read the road signs.  Perhaps people that can't can't read the signs are a
>danger to ME.

To which I replied:
"So?  I know of at least one other non-English speaking country that prints
 its stop signs in English.  (The country in question is Germany)"

>Isn't it so obvious that it hits you?  If there are signs in other
countries that aren't in there native language and they manage to understand
them, is it possible that someone that doesn't speak English can still
understand the meaning of a sign?  Especially when it has been explained to
them in their native language?  Sorry, I just don't think that people as a
whole are THAT stupid.

John Hampton
>>>>>

John,  the stop sign example was chosen by me for it's tremendous symbolism.
It is symbolic of the communication problem, isn't it - both literally and
figuratively.
It is no small point that even us common-language folk can't teach one
another a thing unless we are intellectually honest and have reason.

How shall we do it when the other traveller is another tongue and culture?

( the word traveller is chosen here for it's symbolism as well for the less
preceptive of us)

Peace.









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