In case anyone isn't aware, there's a new push to have a plethora of words in English changed in respect to their spelling. Through = thru, night = nite, etc. Now, many of us already use shortcuts like these in everyday, non-professional communication, on cell phones, email, and chat programs. But to OFFICIALLY change the spelling of the words to make it "easier" for people learning the language (ie. children and foreigners)? That's just stupid. Something tells me the leading asian countries aren't going to be changing their millenia old ideogrammatic systems of writing to make it easier for outsiders. I don't think Arabic nor Russian script is going to change anytime soon to suit the desires of the international community. Why should American English be any different? As far as the young'uns go, children today are dumb and lazy enough as it is -- we don't need to make it easier on them. I find it hilarious when these media outlets do these stories about how "smart" kids are supposedly becoming, and how good they are at "multitasking". Who gives a shit how well some kid can juggle XBOX, an AIM conversation, and a phone call when they can't even point out Iraq on a goddamn map? (That's right -- a recent study done by National Geographic revealed that 6 in 10 18-24 year old's couldn't correctly locate on a map the country that has claimed four years, hundreds of billions of dollars, and 2,500+ American lives.) I dare say children are only getting DUMBER and MORE LAZY as time goes on. Dew wee need tew start dumming down tha English lainguej as well? Shame on the shitty public school systems, shame on those who practice the new style of generally neglectful parenting that's become so prevalent, and shame on the government for doing what they do best: walking around with their thumbs up their asses on the whole thing.
I can only hope this issue once again gets pushed back into some dark corner, not to resurface for a good long time.