DEA to Hire Ebonics Translators...Really?
I read an article today and it states that the DEA has decided that they will hire nine people to “translate” Ebonics. Really? Let me get this straight, they will hire staff to translate street slang…certainly Ebonics is not an official language.
Something about this rubs me the wrong way. I may be wrong, but if you work in a field where you are apprehending drug dealers and confiscating narcotics isn’t it your job to be knowledgeable of the various names assigned to the drugs?
For instance, if a criminal who is not of African descent uses the word “ice” to reference crystal meth would you need to hire someone to translate that dialect? Or, would you use common sense and recognize that this is the terminology used to describe meth?
Ebony Phonics?
What can I say about Ebonics besides the fact that I think it is a load of crap? The notion that black people can not speak proper English and therefore require their own version of the language frustrates me beyond belief. According to the British, Americans do not speak the ‘King’s English’ however, I’m sure they understand us just fine.
There is a bright side to all of this. Nine people will gain employment. That’s nine more people with federal jobs who sit around and do nothing all day.
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