To think that DP's EDL-member friend should learn how to use English correctly?

[TwigletFiend]

This is probably going to make me sound like an insufferable twat

DP has a friend who has recently joined the EDL. He has their logo tattooed on his moob as a sign of his devotion, which given his self-confessed lack of commitment to anything else in life makes me think he's taking this quite seriously.

We are Facebook friends. I am aware that I can just unfriend him, obviously. The principal of the thing just irritates me. He is frequently sharing EDL posts about 'protecting English heritage' and 'making sure England stays with the English'. The vast majority of these posts feature spelling or grammatical errors or other logical inconsistencies.

For example, recently there was a post about ST George's day, on which the friend commented aggressively against Middle Eastern culture under the guise of celebrating 'Englishness'. When I asked him if he could tell me what part of the world St George came from and what exactly he did for the English, he couldn't answer.

AIBU to think you should be able to back up your 'English only' stance by using the language correctly and having an understanding of English history and culture? Or at least fess up to being a bigot, rather than hiding it behind a somewhat threadbare veil of nationalism?

I don't know why this is annoying me so much. Definitely sounding like a stuffy twat

I should think his poor grammar and weak punctuation is the least of his worries.....

Why is your DH friends with this man?

I think that by engaging with him you are giving him and his views legitimacy.
I would pretend he doesn't exist.
As the moto says - don't wrestle with a pig, you will both get dirty and the pig will enjoy it.

It's a common view in this part of the world. Several of DP's friends share similar viewpoints, it's just this one who tries to ram it down everyone's neck constantly.

I find it appalling, but this area is notorious for xenophobia, homophobia, pretty much anything that's not British Caucasian phobia. DP is far more moderate, thank God, but a lot of his family are casual bigots, if that makes sense.

Challenge, correct or block ...

YANBU - people like that don't deserve the time of day. Idiots.

I'd be more put out by the things they say, rather than the way they say them.

And youre happy enough to be with someone who chooses to surround themselves with racist twats? Think youre looking at entirely the wrong issue here.

I thoroughly disagree with almost all their rhetoric, Pang. That doesn't mean they don't have the right to feel that way.

I do think though that he should be able to walk the walk if he's going to talk the talk, however.

YANBU OP.
Sounds like a bellend. You SHOULD keep challenging him.

Does he also have his blood group tattooed under his arm?

"Today 12:19 lionheart

Challenge, correct or block ..."

Oh please just keep correcting his grammar and inaccurate claims! dont engage- just post the corrections in the comments box. It will make him look and feel like an idiot. He will block you eventually but it would be fun while it lasted.

EDL people send shivers down my spine. Bunch of haters. Don't even bother to engage as they don't want to understand anything factual and instead just want to hate anything that isn't them. It's all vile.

If you are going to criticize other people's spelling and grammar, you should make sure your own is perfect first.

It's a hallmark of the EDL. If they weren't so thick they wouldn't be members in the first place.

But I don't profess to value English language and heritage above other people's lawful rights, Goblin. Which is the point of my post.

Well, the queen's British is the most beutiful language in the world and St George did everyone a favour killing that dragon who was probably an immigrant and it was bullying all the unicorns.

lol @ captain ankles

It's a common view in this part of the world.

Oh goody, can we turn this into "a where am I?" type thread?

My guess: Lincs

(The man is a twat, btw. I wouldn't engage with him either, not even to the extent of correcting his grammar.)

I wouldn't engage, and normally I love pointing out when people have used bad spelling and grammar.

I'd be worried about my DH being friends with this man if this were me though.

Think if the only way you can respond to him is by criticizing his grammar etc then you look like a prat who has no real argued responses to his views. I think there's something insufferable about people who criticizes other people's grammar, use of language.

Motor, miles away. 3 guesses?

And yes, agreed. I admit to being very short tempered in the face of hypocritical bigotry, hence the itch to challenge it. I will resist though, for DP's sake if nothing else!

I would not engage with any EDL type either, what a bunch of fuckwits, obviously their English language is bad, they are not exactly .....bright or educated are they?

And I didn't just correct the grammar. I also pointed out that St George was a Middle Eastern Roman who probably never set foot in England and did nothing for the English except in a general, pro-Christian way.

Because I like to sound like a know it all as well as a prat.

Essex?