EVERYBODY WENT, But NOBODY SAID by Sam James

     It seems that proper English has fallen by the wayside, both literally and orally. Probably,  for the same reason why--in the movies-- cowboys always had an endless supply of coffee in their saddlebags, and when did that all start, anyway? No, I don't know the answer.

     What I do know is that somewhere along the line, my language changed: The language I was taught, beginning in gradeschool, seems not to exist anymore. I think it was first noticeable to me in the News Headlines and Bylines, and then in the articles themselves. A single person speaking had always been "he" or "she" or "her". Two or More were "they" or "them". Suddenly he was them. When she went to the store , somehow "they" came home with Pizza. You never used "of" at the end of a sentence, or any other preposition. You were taught to say "one" instead of "you", such as I am doing here. But since you are the one reading, you it is. You being everybody who reads this, even if they are them.   You go, "Well, it was him who hit me." I say, "No it wasn't, it was he who hit you." You go, "I'm gonna miss him going away." No, you aren't, I say: "You're going to miss his going away." You go, his what? See what I mean........
     This is not an English lesson. This is A Mystery. Who Killed English In America? We all knew that anyone who came out West from the South was going to call us "Y'all". When we went to deep South, we would hear "WallAhSchwan", and figured it meant the same as "Well, I swear!". We did understand and accept colloquialisms from the other parts of our nation. But we still respected and recognized the difference between the slang expressions of any particular part of the country and the proper use of good English. We also were taught to recognize abuses of same.
       It used to be that we said something. Jane said, "I am going with Dick." Dick said, "No, you are not. It is for boys only." Jane said, "I am too going."
      Now Jane is going instead of saying: "Dick goes, "No you can't go." "I go, 'yes, I am going." Dick goes,' No you don't. It's for boys only." "I go, 'Yes, I am going." So now, nobody is saying, everybody is going.
     That's not all that's changed, either. Someone said it was an outrage that unknown poachers Murdered gorillas. Last I understood, God reserved Murder for the willful killing of strictly Human Beans. (excuse me, "Beings"). In a much misquoted verse of scripture, "You shall not kill," the actual interpretation and meaning is "You shall not murder, i.e., take the life of another person, meaning human person, ( male or female, man or woman). Not animals. Animals are slaughtered or killed, not murdered. You are, however, required Biblically to take good care of the animals in your care. You are not forbidden to kill them.
      Also, consider how the original languages of the Bible never change their meaning: Americans, on the other hand, jump on any bandwagon which comes down the pike, even if they're pulled by dead horses: So they take (You are not supposed to begin a sentence with "so" very often.....) a perfectly respectful word which has a wonderful meaning and turn it into something disgusting: Take what used to be the delightful word "gay": The GAY NINETIES meant young and carefree times, the 1890's, when America was changing and gay meant "having fun", normal human behavior. She changed all right: The GAY NINETIES of the 1990's meant something totally abnormal and an abomination to God, sexual acts of perversion by men with men and women with women.
      Now, words which were never meant to be used in everyday language HAVE BECOME "the mainstay" of everyday language: Pity the poor American: So brain dead he cannot use his imagination to control what comes out of his mouth.
    What comes out of streetslick mouths belongs in the cesspools, not in public language. Them out there, though, they don't care. Nobody ain't got no respect.
    I would say , come, join me in a wake for the death of good manners, good language, good times, but them here in this country done shoveled and buried them poor danglin' participles and principals (?) when Miss and Mrs. flew out the window and became "Ms", whatever the heck that is, and men started wanting to be women and women started wanting to be men, and that somehow became OKay.
     Tell ya what, though: As for me and my house, we'll stick to the good, old-fashioned
     AMERICAN WAY.
    so valiantly gained and taught by
   our Forefathers.
I say when I speak
I go when I travel