Sick of ignorant Americans and even some Canadians!

Madia   Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:24 am GMT
An Italian man discovered the Americas, not the English, however, they take credit for it. If that were true, America would be the Columbias, no?

America is an Italian word.
KIRK IS STUPID   Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:26 am GMT
Canadian descent?

Last time I checked, Canada was a nation of immigrants, unless you are talking of native American Indians. (And I say American referring to the continent of the Americas)
Un americana   Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:30 am GMT
personas que no amor la estados unidos es ignorante. America es un nacion grande, justo es canada y ingleterra.
Tiffany   Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:06 pm GMT
<<An Italian man discovered the Americas, not the English, however, they take credit for it. If that were true, America would be the Columbias, no?

America is an Italian word.>>

Have you ever picked up a history book? You'll see clearly that Columbus is not English and was definitely not sailing for England. If you want to pick a bone with someone, that would be the Spanish.

Oh, and America is definitely not an Italian word. It is, however, said to be derived from Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian merchant and cartographer.

<<personas que no amor la estados unidos es ignorante. America es un nacion grande, justo es canada y ingleterra.>>

It's a person own prerogative to like or not like a country. This is not ignorance. Ignorance comes to the equation when their like or dislike of a country is based on stereotypes.
English Imperialism   Tue Aug 22, 2006 8:45 pm GMT
I abhor Americans, they are ****ing our English.I am an English and I don't want those ****ing Americans to screw up our well-designed English.
Gabriel   Tue Aug 22, 2006 9:15 pm GMT
<<personas que no amor la estados unidos es ignorante. America es un nacion grande, justo es canada y ingleterra.>>

You meant:

Las personas que no aman a los Estados Unidos son ignorantes. Los Estados Unidos son una gran nación, al igual que Canadá e Inglaterra.
Clark   Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:04 pm GMT
I would just like to say that as an American, I find it offensive when others stereotype us as ignorant. If they were to visit the country they would understand how different it really is. We are actually very well-educated, and there's a lot of fierce competition when it comes to colleges, which by the way we have to pay for if we're accepted, and millions and millions go to get their expensive education anyway. I don't understand this steryotype or how its started. You guys can't believe everything you see on MTV or other American media, and you certainly have no right to judge us if you have never been here.

By the way, every foreign exchange student I have talked to has told me how much they like it and how different it was compared to their expectations.
Kirk   Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:52 pm GMT
<<I would just like to say that as an American, I find it offensive when others stereotype us as ignorant. If they were to visit the country they would understand how different it really is. We are actually very well-educated, and there's a lot of fierce competition when it comes to colleges, which by the way we have to pay for if we're accepted, and millions and millions go to get their expensive education anyway. I don't understand this steryotype or how its started. You guys can't believe everything you see on MTV or other American media, and you certainly have no right to judge us if you have never been here.

By the way, every foreign exchange student I have talked to has told me how much they like it and how different it was compared to their expectations.>>

It tends to be human nature to hold on to long-held, entrenched, even cherished stereotypes even if rational pondering on a subject might turn up easy contradictions to such beliefs. Like Clark alluded to, it may only be a personal experience (such as studying abroad) which shatters such stereotypes for certain people.

I'm an American and second what Clark has stated. Having lived abroad and been exposed to people from all over the world here in the US I have to say I've met a lot of very interesting and reasonable people from all over. I have also met some appallingly ignorant and narrow-minded people (even amongst those who sincerely believe they are the opposite of narrow-minded) and I can reliably report that when it shows up, ignorance and closed-mindedness know no geographic bounds.

Clark, I wouldn't worry too much about would-be incendiary posts on Antimoon--most of them are intended to be flamebait. And if that weren't reason enough to ignore them, many such posts tend to be off-topic for what this site and forum are about.
Guest   Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:16 pm GMT
....And if that weren't reason enough to ignore them, many such posts tend to be off-topic for what this site and forum are about....

You are insulting Tom and his efforts by saying that this forum is a hotbed of off-topics. No forum is clean of such troll posts on the net.
One word for you if you don't feel like posting here then you can say a goodbye to this forum -- no one is forcing you to stay around here.

An American asked me that " do we guys have Tv sets back in India"?
Shocking question to say the least. We have our own satellite channels never mind Tv sets.

If you don't consider his question reeking with a lot of igonorance then what would you consider it? A masterpiece of knowledge.
Clark   Wed Aug 23, 2006 1:47 am GMT
<<I'm an American and second what Clark has stated. Having lived abroad and been exposed to people from all over the world here in the US I have to say I've met a lot of very interesting and reasonable people from all over. I have also met some appallingly ignorant and narrow-minded people (even amongst those who sincerely believe they are the opposite of narrow-minded) and I can reliably report that when it shows up, ignorance and closed-mindedness know no geographic bounds.>>

Well-stated, Kirk. I've been fortunate enough to go to Europe, as well as live outside the U.S. once. In my travels my eyes have been opened up to so many new aspects and cultures–it's amazing. But does that make every American back home an ignoramus? Of course not!

I enjoy talking with tourists or exchange students, and so do most people. So why would I want to feel threatened If I were to travel? Come to the states for a vacation or something. I promise I won't give you a hard time.
gestur   Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:26 am GMT
<<An Italien man discovered the Americas>>

The Vikings discovered the American continent, not Columbus. To be precise; A Norwegian Viking by the name of Leif Eriksson discovered the continent in the late tenth century. Maybe you are not uneducated and ignorant, but of Italian decent and therefore having a hard time accepting facts! ;)
Tiffany   Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:27 am GMT
<<You are insulting Tom and his efforts by saying that this forum is a hotbed of off-topics>>

I see no insult to Tom in Kirk's s post. He merely commented that this forum has many posts that are off topic to the ultimate purpose of this site and forum: to learn English.


<<An American asked me that " do we guys have Tv sets back in India"?
Shocking question to say the least. We have our own satellite channels never mind Tv sets.

If you don't consider his question reeking with a lot of igonorance then what would you consider it? A masterpiece of knowledge.>>

There are ignorant people, no one can deny that. But to believe that all Americans are like the one American you have met is just as ignorant.
Tiffany   Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:42 am GMT
<<There are ignorant people, no one can deny that. But to believe that all Americans are like the one American you have met is just as ignorant.>>

Dammmit posted too fast.

This line should read:

"There are ignorant people everywhere, no one can deny that. But to believe that all Americans are like the one American you have met is just as ignorant."
Stan   Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:58 pm GMT
Americans; ignorant? well, I don't know about that. I think "arrogant" would be more appropriate.

It amazes me though that you would attribute that to Canadians as well.

<< Spanish is pretty much the unofficial second language of the US. >>

Know you're giving the conservatives something to talk about.
Clark   Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:22 pm GMT
<<Know you're giving the conservatives something to talk about.>>

I'm a conservative and I don't believe that it's "bad" that Spanish is spoken in the U.S. Actually, Spanish is co-official in New Mexico. I've studied Spanish for a good while, and knowledge of a foreign language is extremely important nowadays. We have a large Hispanic immigrant population, but it's time to accept the fact that they're here and staying.

I completely agree with the government cracking down on border patrol, but we shouldn't send everyone back that's already here. They can obtain legal citizenship, become employed, learn English, and become a part of our society in the U.S. After all, we are a nation of equal rights.

Now am I still an "arrogant American?"