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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

87 replies

TwigletFiend · 05/05/2015 12:10

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

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 Grin

OP posts:
TwigletFiend · 05/05/2015 16:07

Nope. Marginally warmer though!

OP posts:
SunnyBaudelaire · 05/05/2015 16:11

oh god not Spain?

YokoUhOh · 05/05/2015 16:12

Cornwall and I claim my fiver!

I blocked a Cornish relative on FB. He shared a BNP meme :(

ApocalypseThen · 05/05/2015 16:17

I actually think you're right. If they're so delighted and excited by England and all things English, you'd imagine they'd spend a good portion of their free time perfecting their skills in the world'a only language and familiarizing themselves with the greatest literature gifted to the world.

Surely there's no point otherwise?

LividofLondinium · 05/05/2015 16:47

You could have lots of fun "educating" him Twiglet, so my vote is that whenever he spouts his BS you correct him with some peer reviewed study or research. Baffle him with facts. Sure, he'll probably get fed up of being repeatedly pulled up on his ignorance, but it would be fun until he blocks you Grin Just keep us informed, eh? Wink

BuzzardBird · 05/05/2015 16:51

Midlands?

It's quite a bit of fun challenging though.

MsAspreyDiamonds · 05/05/2015 16:59

Post this on his Facebook page!

www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/saints/george_1.shtml

Seffina · 05/05/2015 17:07

If St George existed today, he'd be an immigrant and UKIP and the EDL would implode trying to work out two opposing views.

ScaryMaryHinge · 05/05/2015 17:11

South London?

EmpressOfJurisfiction · 05/05/2015 17:14

Your DP is being U to have friends like that in the first place.

Icimoi · 05/05/2015 17:38

It's really a given that all members of EDL are staggeringly thick inadequates who use it to disguise from themselves what failures they are.

I think my favourite EDL banner was the one that said "Sport are troope's"

Seffina · 05/05/2015 17:43

Perhaps it's time to post Grin

loveareadingthanks · 05/05/2015 18:02

I think you are in Kent as it was a shock to my system when I moved here (from Essex, by the way) and found out these were seen as quite normal opinions and even those who didn't share them, tolerate them and don't challenge. Old mates from school blah blah...very inbred sort of town I live in now, they all know each other, it's nice in some ways but it means that the racists/xenophobes are quite open about it.

TwigletFiend · 05/05/2015 19:02

Nobody has found me yet, I'm afraid!

This is someone DP has known for many years. I have made my opinion of him known and he doesn't visit us at home, but I'm not going to cut DP off from someone he considers a friend just because I think the man is a bit of a prick. He is also not very sharp, which makes him quite easily led, so I'm not sure his newfound sense of English pride is going to last as long as the horrendous tattoo.

OP posts:
NoArmaniNoPunani · 05/05/2015 19:06

Join the English Disco Lovers and start posting their stuff on your wall.

SiobhanSharpe · 05/05/2015 19:17

Yay!
But on a more serious note, not all my friends hold the same political views as I do, it makes for , um entertaining discussions in the pub, if nothing else.

soapydopeybubbles · 05/05/2015 19:18

I'm guessing 'oop norf' somewhere, Blackburn or Burnley maybe?

SiobhanSharpe · 05/05/2015 19:19

Suffolk?

QueenBean · 05/05/2015 19:22

I'm guessing Norfolk or Suffolk

And yes to correcting him, please!!

TwigletFiend · 05/05/2015 20:01

Getting colder again, I'm afraid! See? It's such a closed community that 'outsiders' barely know it exists...

OP posts:
QueenBean · 05/05/2015 20:17

Rutland!!

PeterParkerSays · 05/05/2015 20:24

Stoke on Trent?

God, worrying how many of these enclaves are out there, isn't it?

Icimoi · 05/05/2015 20:30

Love that video, Seffina. I always thought the Muslamic Ray guns thing was a bit of a parody, I didn't realise that these idiots actually believe in them.

Icimoi · 05/05/2015 20:34

Haringey?

TheWintersmith · 05/05/2015 20:37

Stornaway?*

*other remote islands are available