October 8, 2009

Bumper Stickers

I'm not a big fan of bumper stickers. If you're one that loves them I'm sorry. In my opinion, people often reveal their ignorance in what they choose to slap on their car. As in an example, let me bring forth a sticker that I saw the other day. It stated, "If you ain't a Steelers fan, you ain't *crap*." Now for anyone that finds that word crap offensive, I wish to point out that the word that was originally used was much stronger and I chose to lesson it.

The bumper sticker was supporting the Steelers. It was in their team colors. I think there might have even been a tiny Steelers logo on the car. Yet, when you read it properly it is a slap against the team.

Ain't (it is in the dictionary that I checked) is basically an informal way of saying "is not" or "are not." So, reading the words of wisdom again, you wind up with, "If you are not a Steelers fan, you are not crap."

Read it again slowly. "If you are not a Steelers fan, you are not crap." Basically, if you cheer for anyone other than the Steelers, you are not crap. Or, as I was taught in school, let's use the fact that having two negatives in the same sentence cancel each other out. We're left with, "If you are a Steelers fan, you are crap." Somehow I don't think that is what they were intending when they put it on their car.

Whether you take the literal meaning of the real last word in the phrase, or use the idea that it means "a person that is worthless," it still doesn't make sense.

Before you slap something on your car for the world to read, think it through first.

On Facebook? The original post resides at www.focusedjourney.com.

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