Hate Crimes
Friends discuss hate crimes in Colorado Springs. The Grammar focus is on Imperatives.
Galatea: “I want to talk about hate crimes.”
Pansy: “Why, this is just a classroom dialogue.”
Galatea: “So, Black and white. Straight and gay. Rich and poor. Who do you want to talk about?”
Pansy: “How about that nightclub in Colorado Springs? LGBTQ.”
Galatea: “Great subject. Why are Americans murdering people with different sexual preferences?”
Pansy: “I don’t have an easy answer. But first of all, this is a violent culture. Don’t you think so?”
Galatea: “Of course it is. There are 400 million guns in the USA.”
Pansy: “Why are people so interested and fired up about sex? That’s beyond me. But they are. Maybe more than almost anything else.”
Galatea: “You’re right. Even abortion is related. To what extent should the government control women’s sexuality?”
Pansy: “Not at all. We could talk all night about this.”
Galatea: “Let’s do that.”
VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS
Hate crime is a crime motivated by prejudice against a social group. See online Idioms Dictionary.
LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer. See online Dictionary.
Sexual preference means the sexual orientation one prefers in choosing his or her sex partners. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Fired up means feeling very excited or passionate about something. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Beyond me means completely missing or surpassing my understanding. See online Idioms Dictionary.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
Suggested Topic for Comments: Imperatives
“Let’s do that.” The so-called “inclusive imperative,” which includes the speaker with the addressee, begins with “Let’s.” There are two ways to negate this statement from our dialogue, both of which are grammatically permissible in informal conversation:
“Let’s not do that.”
“Let’s don’t do that.”
INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED DIALOGUE
New Idioms are “Is it just me?” and “Can of worms.” The Grammar focus is on Negation.
Bonnie: “Gays are getting murdered in local bars.”
Alice: “Where did that happen, again?”
Bonnie: “Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub called ‘Club Q’.”
Alice: “I got my ESL teacher credentials in Denver, and it wasn’t that long ago.”
Bonnie: “This country doesn’t make sense any more.”
Alice: “This world doesn’t make sense any more, Bonnie. Or is it just me?“
Bonnie: “It’s just you. It’s a plain fact there are no prejudiced people here. No white supremacists. This is a Christian country.”
Alice: “If you start with that you’re going to open up a real can of worms. Do you want to do that tonight?”
Bonnie: “Well hell, why not?”
Alice: “Because we’re supposed to broadcast the news, not rile up opposition groups.”
Bonnie: “You’re right, I forgot. We’re not talk show hosts.”
Alice: “I’m an ESL teacher and we’re still in graduate school, and instead we’re teen anchormen for crap wages.”
Bonnie: “Anchorpeople.”
Alice: “Sweet young girls bringing smiles to people’s faces.”
Bonnie: “Ya, that’s it!”
VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS
Is it just me? means am I the only one who thinks or experiences this? The phrase is sometimes used rhetorically. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Can of worms means a source of unpredictable trouble and complexity. See online Idioms Dictionary.
To rile someone up means to get someone excited or angry. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Crap is rude or vulgar slang for feces. Useless, worthless or undesirable items. See online Idioms Dictionary.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
Suggested Topic for Comments: Negation
“It’s a plain fact there are no prejudiced people here. No white supremacists. No homophobes.“
In this form, “no” functions simply as a negative determiner. However, the same form can appear as an idiom, e.g. “No way,” “No problem,” “No sweat.”
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