CLINTON DEPLOYS VOWELS TO BOSNIA (fwd)

[Henryk Baran]

On Monday, January 15, 1996 11:31 AM, George
Mitrevski[SMTP:mitrege at mail.auburn.edu] wrote:
>NEWSFLASH
>
>CLINTON DEPLOYS VOWELS TO BOSNIA
>
>Cities of Sjlbvdnzv, Grzny to be First Recipients
>
>Before an emergency joint session of Congress yesterday, President Clinton
>announced US plans to deploy over 75,000 vowels to the war-torn region of
>Bosnia.  The deployment, the largest of its kind in American history, will
>provide the region with the critically needed letters A, E, I, O, and U,
and
>is hoped to rend countless Bosnian names more pronounceable.
>
>"For six years, we have stood by while names like Ygrjvslhv and Tzlnhr and
>Glrm have been horribly butchered by millions around the world," Clinton
>said.  Today, the United States must finally stand up and say 'Enough.'
 It
>is time the people of Bosnia finally had some vowels in their
>incomprehensible words.  The US is proud to lead the crusade in this noble
>endeavor."
>
>The deployment, dubbed "Operation Vowel Storm" by the State Department,
>is set for early next week, with the Adriatic port cities of Sjlbvdnzv and
>Grzny slated to be the first recipients.  Two C-130 transport planes, each
>carrying over 500 24-count boxes of "E's" will fly from Andrews Air Force
>Base across the Atlantic, and airdrop the letter over the cities.
>
>Citizens of Grzny and Sjlbvdnzv eagerly await the arrival of the vowels.
>
>"My God, I do not think we can last another day," Trszg Grzdnjkln, 44,
said.
> "I have six children and none of them has a name that is understandable
to
>me or to anyone else.  Mr. Clinton, please send my poor, wretched family
>just
>one 'E,' please!"
>
>Said Sjlbvdnzv resident Grg Hmphrs, 67:  "With just a few key letters, I
>could be George Humphries.  This is my dream."
>
>The airdrop represents the largest deployment of any letter to a foreign
>country since 1984.  During the summer of that year, the US shipped 92,000
>consonants to Ethiopia, providing cities like Ouaouaua, Eaoiiaue, and Aao
>with vital, life-giving supplies of L's, S's and T's.
>
>**************************************************************************
>Dr. George Mitrevski                    office: 334-844-6376
>Foreign Languages                          fax: 334-844-6378
>6030 Haley Center                       e-mail: mitrege at mail.auburn.edu
>Auburn University
>Auburn, AL 36849-5204
>
>Macedonian Information Almanac: http://www.auburn.edu/~mitrege/macedonia/
>**************************************************************************
>
>

I am undoubtedly missing something, but I fail to see the point of this
missive. Is it to underscore our leadership's lack of sensitivity to
foreign language issues? Or is it express opposition to the despatch of
troops to Bosnia?  If the former, I think the subject matter inappropriate
for levity; if the latter, I simply wish to register my support for this
action -- the only thing wrong with it is that it wasn't done a long time
ago.


Henryk Baran <hbaran at ios.com>
(201) 967-1593  (voice); (201) 967-8014 (fax)