On a more serious note...
I just read a Letter to the Editor in the Lincoln Journal-Star (www.journalstar.com, click on Letters to the Editor), one of our local-ish newspapers from back home. It was from a man who proclaimed that he was "proud to be a redneck," which right away sends up red flags. Egad, what now? I immediately thought. I was certain I knew what was coming...finger pointing, tossing about of the word "liberals," excessive praising of Our Boy Dubya, etc. I wasn't too far off base. This gentleman wrote a letter proclaiming he was proud to be a redneck and complaining about how some things in America are now bilingual or even trilingual.
To sum up his letter, those who immigrate to America have no right to speak their own language, read it on signs, read it in driver's manuals, etc. They should immediately learn to understand English well enough to both read and speak it fluently! Moreover, those who come to America hoping to become citizens have no right to complain, criticize or have any negative thoughts about our country!
A few thoughts on this:
Until this "redneck" has even set foot outside of his own country (and I don't mean to Canada, for God's sake), he has no idea whatsoever how difficult it is to be a foreigner. As a temporary resident of Indonesia, I do think it's repsectful and right of me to try to learn to speak Indonesian...even though I'm not planning on staying forever, I think it's only right to learn to speak the native tongue. HOWEVER, I cannot express how comforting it is to find things in English every now and then. My Indonesian is nowhere near fluent-even if I'd have tried harder to learn more, which I should have, I'd still be fumbling and probably sounding like an idiot to most native Indonesians.
It's more than a bit ridiculous to insist that immigrants to the United States should immediately learn and use nothing but English. Should an effort be made by those new to the U.S. to learn to speak English? Absolutely. But learning a language, particularly one as complex as English, takes time, and I'm guessing Mr. Redneck is the kind of individual who would criticize or think poorly of an immigrant for his or her imperfect use of the English language...yet this man's grammar was atrocious and I'm guessing his spelling was only improved by the kind folks at the LJS.
Mr. Redneck complained about driver's tests and some government forms being bilingual. Since when is speaking English a prerequisite for being a good driver? In Seward County, it apparently overrides being able to see over the wheel or obey traffic laws...at least if you're planning on driving the Senior Center shuttle. Plus, I've been presented with government forms here that were in Indonesian only. Am I a rude foreigner for needing someone to translate these documents for me? Apparently so, unless that rule only applies to the U.S. of A.
My final problem with Mr. R's letter is his insistence that those who immigrate to the United States forego the right to criticize and/or complain about the country. Forgive me, but isn't that a fundamental part of a free country? A citizen's right to voice his or her opinion, negative or not? Isn't that, in fact, what Mr. R is doing by criticizing the country's immigration policies and treatment of foreign residents?
I apologize for climbing on my soapbox. I sincerely hope I do not come across like some arrogant, self-important person who considers myself better than Mr. R because I've gone and lived in a foreign country, because that is not my intention. I do not mean to be preachy. However, living or even traveling outside of the U.S. does give a person a different perspective. Moving away from home has made me see America in a different light. Don't get me wrong-I love my country fiercely. Even more so, I think, since living away from it for some time.
I taught my 8th and 9th grade English students a saying the other day when we were working on our debate unit-"Walk a mile in someone else's shoes." Or if you can't walk a mile, at least try to look at things from another point of view. Just because a person doesn't agree with something doesn't mean he or she shouldn't try to understand it. I told my students that they cannot understand or stand firm in their own arguments until they have examined the evidence-including opposing arguments. Does Mr. R have the potential to make some good points? Absolutely. He has some very good points-some I even tend to agree with. However, "I'm right, gol' dang it," just doesn't cut it as a solid argument. I can respect another person's views, even if they're radically different from my own. I have a hard time respecting these views, however, when they are presented so poorly.
It's a good thing Mr. R says he's proud to be an uneducated redneck, because this is exactly what his letter proves him to be. No, Mr. R, you do not need to be elite or Harvard-educated in order to hold a respectable opinion or belief. However, you do yourself no favors by using your self-proclaimed ignorance as an excuse for your thoughts. Why, Mr. R, should you have to make excuses for your beliefs?
To sum up his letter, those who immigrate to America have no right to speak their own language, read it on signs, read it in driver's manuals, etc. They should immediately learn to understand English well enough to both read and speak it fluently! Moreover, those who come to America hoping to become citizens have no right to complain, criticize or have any negative thoughts about our country!
A few thoughts on this:
Until this "redneck" has even set foot outside of his own country (and I don't mean to Canada, for God's sake), he has no idea whatsoever how difficult it is to be a foreigner. As a temporary resident of Indonesia, I do think it's repsectful and right of me to try to learn to speak Indonesian...even though I'm not planning on staying forever, I think it's only right to learn to speak the native tongue. HOWEVER, I cannot express how comforting it is to find things in English every now and then. My Indonesian is nowhere near fluent-even if I'd have tried harder to learn more, which I should have, I'd still be fumbling and probably sounding like an idiot to most native Indonesians.
It's more than a bit ridiculous to insist that immigrants to the United States should immediately learn and use nothing but English. Should an effort be made by those new to the U.S. to learn to speak English? Absolutely. But learning a language, particularly one as complex as English, takes time, and I'm guessing Mr. Redneck is the kind of individual who would criticize or think poorly of an immigrant for his or her imperfect use of the English language...yet this man's grammar was atrocious and I'm guessing his spelling was only improved by the kind folks at the LJS.
Mr. Redneck complained about driver's tests and some government forms being bilingual. Since when is speaking English a prerequisite for being a good driver? In Seward County, it apparently overrides being able to see over the wheel or obey traffic laws...at least if you're planning on driving the Senior Center shuttle. Plus, I've been presented with government forms here that were in Indonesian only. Am I a rude foreigner for needing someone to translate these documents for me? Apparently so, unless that rule only applies to the U.S. of A.
My final problem with Mr. R's letter is his insistence that those who immigrate to the United States forego the right to criticize and/or complain about the country. Forgive me, but isn't that a fundamental part of a free country? A citizen's right to voice his or her opinion, negative or not? Isn't that, in fact, what Mr. R is doing by criticizing the country's immigration policies and treatment of foreign residents?
I apologize for climbing on my soapbox. I sincerely hope I do not come across like some arrogant, self-important person who considers myself better than Mr. R because I've gone and lived in a foreign country, because that is not my intention. I do not mean to be preachy. However, living or even traveling outside of the U.S. does give a person a different perspective. Moving away from home has made me see America in a different light. Don't get me wrong-I love my country fiercely. Even more so, I think, since living away from it for some time.
I taught my 8th and 9th grade English students a saying the other day when we were working on our debate unit-"Walk a mile in someone else's shoes." Or if you can't walk a mile, at least try to look at things from another point of view. Just because a person doesn't agree with something doesn't mean he or she shouldn't try to understand it. I told my students that they cannot understand or stand firm in their own arguments until they have examined the evidence-including opposing arguments. Does Mr. R have the potential to make some good points? Absolutely. He has some very good points-some I even tend to agree with. However, "I'm right, gol' dang it," just doesn't cut it as a solid argument. I can respect another person's views, even if they're radically different from my own. I have a hard time respecting these views, however, when they are presented so poorly.
It's a good thing Mr. R says he's proud to be an uneducated redneck, because this is exactly what his letter proves him to be. No, Mr. R, you do not need to be elite or Harvard-educated in order to hold a respectable opinion or belief. However, you do yourself no favors by using your self-proclaimed ignorance as an excuse for your thoughts. Why, Mr. R, should you have to make excuses for your beliefs?
posted by Erin @ 7:43 AM
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