Subject: Fwd: "Bushonics"

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Subject: Fw: "Bushonics" from Helen
Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 15:44:42 -0500
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Bushonics speakers strike back
We're mad as hell and we won't be misunderestimated anymore!
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Tom McNichol

March 19, 2001 | The day Lisa Shaw's son Tyler came home from school with
tears streaming down his cheeks, the 34-year-old Crawford, Texas, homemaker,
knew things had gone too far.

"All of Tyler's varying and sundry friends was making fun of the way he
talked," Shaw says. "I am not a revengeful person, but I couldn't let this
behaviorism slip into acceptability. This is not the way America is about."

Shaw and her son are two of a surprising number of Americans who speak a
form
of nonstandard English that linguists have dubbed "Bushonics," in honor of
the dialect's most famous speaker, President George W. Bush. The most
striking features of Bushonics -- tangled syntax, mispronunciations, run-on
sentences, misplaced modifiers and a wanton disregard for subject-verb
agreement -- are generally considered to be "bad" or "ungrammatical" by
linguists and society at large.

But that attitude may be changing. Bushonics speakers, emboldened by the
Bush
presidency, are beginning to make their voices heard. Lisa Shaw has formed a
support group for local speakers of the dialect and is demanding that her
son's school offer "a full-blown up apologism." And a growing number of
linguists argue that Bushonics isn't a collection of language "mistakes" but
rather a well-formed linguistic system, with its own lexical, phonological
and syntactic patterns.

"These people are greatly misunderestimated," says University of Texas
linguistics professor James Bundy, himself a Bushonics speaker. "They're not
lacking in intelligence facilities by any stretch of the mind. They just
have
a differing way of speechifying."

It's difficult to say just how many Bushonics speakers there are in America,
although professor Bundy claims "their numbers are legionary." Many who
speak
the dialect are ashamed to utter it in public and will only open up to a
group of fellow speakers. One known hotbed of Bushonics is Crawford, the
tiny
central Texas town near the president's 1,600-acre ranch. Other centers are
said to include Austin and Midland, Texas, New Haven, Conn., and
Kennebunkport, Maine.

Bushonics is widely spoken in corporate boardrooms, and has long been
considered a kind of secret language among members of the fraternity Delta
Kappa Epsilon. Bushonics speakers have ascended to top jobs at places like
the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human
Services.
By far the greatest concentration of Bushonicsspeakers is found in the U.S.
military. Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig is only the most well
known Bushonics speaker to serve with distinction in America's armed forces.

Among the military's top brass, the dialect is considered to be the
unofficial language of the Pentagon.

Former President George H.W. Bush spoke a somewhat diluted form of the
dialect that bears his family's name, which may have influenced his choice
for vice president, Dan Quayle, who spoke an Indiana strain of Bushonics.

The impressive list of people who speak the dialect is a frequent topic at
Lisa Shaw's weekly gathering of Bushonics speakers. That so many members of
their linguistic community have risen to positions of power comes as a
comfort to the group, and a source of inspiration.

"We feel a good deal less aloneness, my guess is you would want to call it,"
Shaw says. "It just goes to show the living proof that expectations rise
above that which is expected."

Some linguists still contend, however, that the term "Bushonics" is being
used as a crutch to excuse poor grammar and sloppy logic.

"I'm sorry, but these people simply don't know how to talk properly," says
Thomas Gayle, a speech professor at Stanford University. Professor Gayle was
raised by Bushonic parents, and says he occasionally catches himself lapsing
into the dialect.

"When it happens, it can be very misconcerting," Gayle says. "I understand
Bushonics. I was one. But under full analyzation, it's really just an excuse
to stay stupider."

It's talk like that that angers many Bushonics speakers, who say they're
routinely the victims of prejudice.

"The attacks on Bushonics demonstrate a lack of compassion and amount to
little more than hate speech," says a prominent Bushonics leader who spoke
on
the condition that his quote be "cleaned up."

Increasingly, members of the Bushonics community are fighting back. Lisa
Shaw's Crawford-based group is pressing the local school board to institute
bilingual classes, and to eliminate the study of English grammar altogether.
"It's an orientation of being fairness-based," Shaw says. A Bushonics group
in New England has embarked on an ambitious project to translate key
historical documents into the dialect, beginning with the Bill of Rights.
(For instance, the Second Amendment rendered into Bushonics reads: "Guns.
They're American, for the regulated militia and the people to bear. Can't
take them away for infringement purposes. Not never.")

Bushonics activists say they'll keep fighting as long as there are still
children who come home from school crying because their classmates can't
understand a word they're saying. Lisa Shaw hopes that every American will
heed the words of the nation's No. 1 Bushonics speaker, and vow to be a
uniter, not a divider.

"We shouldn't be cutting down the pie smaller," Shaw says with quiet
dignity.
"We ought to make the pie higher."

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Subject: Fwd: Bushonics
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Subject: Bushonics
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Bushonics speakers strike back
We're mad as hell and we won't be misunderestimated anymore!
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 - - - - - - - - - - - =
-
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 By Tom McNichol

March 19, 2001 | The day Lisa Shaw's son Tyler came home from school with=20
tears streaming down his cheeks, the 34-year-old Crawford, Texas, homemaker=
,=20
knew things had gone too far.

"All of Tyler's varying and sundry friends was making fun of the way he=20
talked," Shaw says. "I am not a revengeful person, but I couldn't let this=
=20
behaviorism slip into acceptability. This is not the way America is about."

Shaw and her son are two of a surprising number of Americans who speak a fo=
rm=20
of nonstandard English that linguists have dubbed "Bushonics," in honor of=
=20
the dialect's most famous speaker, President George W. Bush. The most=20
striking features of Bushonics -- tangled syntax, mispronunciations, run-on=
=20
sentences, misplaced modifiers and a wanton disregard for subject-verb=20
agreement -- are generally considered to be "bad" or "ungrammatical" by=20
linguists and society at large.

But that attitude may be changing. Bushonics speakers, emboldened by the Bu=
sh=20
presidency, are beginning to make their voices heard. Lisa Shaw has formed =
a=20
support group for local speakers of the dialect and is demanding that her=20
son's school offer "a full-blown up apologism." And a growing number of=20
linguists argue that Bushonics isn't a collection of language "mistakes" bu=
t=20
rather a well-formed linguistic system, with its own lexical, phonological=
=20
and syntactic patterns.

"These people are greatly misunderestimated," says University of Texas=20
linguistics professor James Bundy, himself a Bushonics speaker. "They're no=
t=20
lacking in intelligence facilities by any stretch of the mind. They just ha=
ve=20
a differing way of speechifying."

It's difficult to say just how many Bushonics speakers there are in America=
,=20
although professor Bundy claims "their numbers are legionary." Many who spe=
ak=20
the dialect are ashamed to utter it in public and will only open up to a=20
group of fellow speakers. One known hotbed of Bushonics is Crawford, the ti=
ny=20
central Texas town near the president's 1,600-acre ranch. Other centers are=
=20
said to include Austin and Midland, Texas, New Haven, Conn., and=20
Kennebunkport, Maine.

Bushonics is widely spoken in corporate boardrooms, and has long been=20
considered a kind of secret language among members of the fraternity Delta=
=20
Kappa Epsilon. Bushonics speakers have ascended to top jobs at places like=
=20
the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Service=
s.=20
By far the greatest concentration of Bushonicsspeakers is found in the U.S.=
=20
military. Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig is only the most well=20
known Bushonics speaker to serve with distinction in America's armed forces=
.

Among the military's top brass, the dialect is considered to be the=20
unofficial language of the Pentagon.

Former President George H.W. Bush spoke a somewhat diluted form of the=20
dialect that bears his family's name, which may have influenced his choice=
=20
for vice president, Dan Quayle,=A0 who spoke an Indiana strain of Bushonics=
.

The impressive list of people who speak the dialect is a frequent topic at=
=20
Lisa Shaw's weekly gathering of Bushonics speakers. That so many members of=
=20
their linguistic community have risen to positions of power comes as a=20
comfort to the group, and a source of inspiration.

"We feel a good deal less aloneness, my guess is you would want to call it,=
"=20
Shaw says. "It just goes to show the living proof that expectations rise=20
above that which is expected."

Some linguists still contend, however, that the term "Bushonics" is being=20
used as a crutch to excuse poor grammar and sloppy logic.

"I'm sorry, but these people simply don't know how to talk properly," says=
=20
Thomas Gayle, a speech professor at Stanford University. Professor Gayle wa=
s=20
raised by Bushonic parents, and says he occasionally catches himself lapsin=
g=20
into the dialect.

"When it happens, it can be very misconcerting," Gayle says. "I understand=
=20
Bushonics. I was one. But under full analyzation, it's really just an excus=
e=20
to stay stupider."

It's talk like that that angers many Bushonics speakers, who say they're=20
routinely the victims of prejudice.

"The attacks on Bushonics demonstrate a lack of compassion and amount to=20
little more than hate speech," says a prominent Bushonics leader who spoke =
on=20
the condition that his quote be "cleaned up."

Increasingly, members of the Bushonics community are fighting back. Lisa=20
Shaw's Crawford-based group is pressing the local school board to institute=
=20
bilingual classes, and to eliminate the study of English grammar altogether=
.=20
"It's an orientation of being fairness-based," Shaw says. A Bushonics group=
=20
in New England has embarked on an ambitious project to translate key=20
historical documents into the dialect, beginning with the Bill of Rights.=20
(For instance, the Second Amendment rendered into Bushonics reads: "Guns.=20
They're American, for the regulated militia and the people to bear. Can't=20
take them away for infringement purposes. Not never.")

Bushonics activists say they'll keep fighting as long as there are still=20
children who come home from school crying because their classmates can't=20
understand a word they're saying.=A0 Lisa Shaw hopes that every American wi=
ll=20
heed the words of the nation's No. 1 Bushonics speaker, and vow to be a=20
uniter, not a divider.

"We shouldn't be cutting down the pie smaller," Shaw says with quiet dignit=
y.=20
"We ought to make the pie higher."

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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=3D4 FAMILY=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D=
"Book Antiqua" LANG=3D"0">Bushonics speakers strike back
<BR>We're mad as hell and we won't be misunderestimated anymore!
<BR> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 - - - - - - - - - - - -
<BR> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 By T=
om McNichol
<BR>
<BR>March 19, 2001 | The day Lisa Shaw's son Tyler came home from school wi=
th=20
<BR>tears streaming down his cheeks, the 34-year-old Crawford, Texas, homem=
aker,=20
<BR>knew things had gone too far.
<BR>
<BR>"All of Tyler's varying and sundry friends was making fun of the way he=
=20
<BR>talked," Shaw says. "I am not a revengeful person, but I couldn't let t=
his=20
<BR>behaviorism slip into acceptability. This is not the way America is abo=
ut."
<BR>
<BR>Shaw and her son are two of a surprising number of Americans who speak =
a form=20
<BR>of nonstandard English that linguists have dubbed "Bushonics," in honor=
of=20
<BR>the dialect's most famous speaker, President George W. Bush. The most=20
<BR>striking features of Bushonics -- tangled syntax, mispronunciations, ru=
n-on=20
<BR>sentences, misplaced modifiers and a wanton disregard for subject-verb=
=20
<BR>agreement -- are generally considered to be "bad" or "ungrammatical" by=
=20
<BR>linguists and society at large.
<BR>
<BR>But that attitude may be changing. Bushonics speakers, emboldened by th=
e Bush=20
<BR>presidency, are beginning to make their voices heard. Lisa Shaw has for=
med a=20
<BR>support group for local speakers of the dialect and is demanding that h=
er=20
<BR>son's school offer "a full-blown up apologism." And a growing number of=
=20
<BR>linguists argue that Bushonics isn't a collection of language "mistakes=
" but=20
<BR>rather a well-formed linguistic system, with its own lexical, phonologi=
cal=20
<BR>and syntactic patterns.
<BR>
<BR>"These people are greatly misunderestimated," says University of Texas=
=20
<BR>linguistics professor James Bundy, himself a Bushonics speaker. "They'r=
e not=20
<BR>lacking in intelligence facilities by any stretch of the mind. They jus=
t have=20
<BR>a differing way of speechifying."
<BR>
<BR>It's difficult to say just how many Bushonics speakers there are in Ame=
rica,=20
<BR>although professor Bundy claims "their numbers are legionary." Many who=
speak=20
<BR>the dialect are ashamed to utter it in public and will only open up to =
a=20
<BR>group of fellow speakers. One known hotbed of Bushonics is Crawford, th=
e tiny=20
<BR>central Texas town near the president's 1,600-acre ranch. Other centers=
are=20
<BR>said to include Austin and Midland, Texas, New Haven, Conn., and=20
<BR>Kennebunkport, Maine.
<BR>
<BR>Bushonics is widely spoken in corporate boardrooms, and has long been=20
<BR>considered a kind of secret language among members of the fraternity De=
lta=20
<BR>Kappa Epsilon. Bushonics speakers have ascended to top jobs at places l=
ike=20
<BR>the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Ser=
vices.=20
<BR>By far the greatest concentration of Bushonicsspeakers is found in the =
U.S.=20
<BR>military. Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig is only the most wel=
l=20
<BR>known Bushonics speaker to serve with distinction in America's armed fo=
rces.
<BR>
<BR>Among the military's top brass, the dialect is considered to be the=20
<BR>unofficial language of the Pentagon.
<BR>
<BR>Former President George H.W. Bush spoke a somewhat diluted form of the=
=20
<BR>dialect that bears his family's name, which may have influenced his cho=
ice=20
<BR>for vice president, Dan Quayle,=A0 who spoke an Indiana strain of Busho=
nics.
<BR>
<BR>The impressive list of people who speak the dialect is a frequent topic=
at=20
<BR>Lisa Shaw's weekly gathering of Bushonics speakers. That so many member=
s of=20
<BR>their linguistic community have risen to positions of power comes as a=
=20
<BR>comfort to the group, and a source of inspiration.
<BR>
<BR>"We feel a good deal less aloneness, my guess is you would want to call=
it,"=20
<BR>Shaw says. "It just goes to show the living proof that expectations ris=
e=20
<BR>above that which is expected."
<BR>
<BR>Some linguists still contend, however, that the term "Bushonics" is bei=
ng=20
<BR>used as a crutch to excuse poor grammar and sloppy logic.
<BR>
<BR>"I'm sorry, but these people simply don't know how to talk properly," s=
ays=20
<BR>Thomas Gayle, a speech professor at Stanford University. Professor Gayl=
e was=20
<BR>raised by Bushonic parents, and says he occasionally catches himself la=
psing=20
<BR>into the dialect.
<BR>
<BR>"When it happens, it can be very misconcerting," Gayle says. "I underst=
and=20
<BR>Bushonics. I was one. But under full analyzation, it's really just an e=
xcuse=20
<BR>to stay stupider."
<BR>
<BR>It's talk like that that angers many Bushonics speakers, who say they'r=
e=20
<BR>routinely the victims of prejudice.
<BR>
<BR>"The attacks on Bushonics demonstrate a lack of compassion and amount t=
o=20
<BR>little more than hate speech," says a prominent Bushonics leader who sp=
oke on=20
<BR>the condition that his quote be "cleaned up."
<BR>
<BR>Increasingly, members of the Bushonics community are fighting back. Lis=
a=20
<BR>Shaw's Crawford-based group is pressing the local school board to insti=
tute=20
<BR>bilingual classes, and to eliminate the study of English grammar altoge=
ther.=20
<BR>"It's an orientation of being fairness-based," Shaw says. A Bushonics g=
roup=20
<BR>in New England has embarked on an ambitious project to translate key=20
<BR>historical documents into the dialect, beginning with the Bill of Right=
s.=20
<BR>(For instance, the Second Amendment rendered into Bushonics reads: "Gun=
s.=20
<BR>They're American, for the regulated militia and the people to bear. Can=
't=20
<BR>take them away for infringement purposes. Not never.")
<BR>
<BR>Bushonics activists say they'll keep fighting as long as there are stil=
l=20
<BR>children who come home from school crying because their classmates can'=
t=20
<BR>understand a word they're saying.=A0 Lisa Shaw hopes that every America=
n will=20
<BR>heed the words of the nation's No. 1 Bushonics speaker, and vow to be a=
=20
<BR>uniter, not a divider.
<BR>
<BR>"We shouldn't be cutting down the pie smaller," Shaw says with quiet di=
gnity.=20
<BR>"We ought to make the pie higher."
<BR>
<BR>
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