(this was first published in March, the day after the Acadamy Awards)
but I have to say what must be said....
I've been trying for years to be politically correct about certain things, but the dam has finally burst. What sent me over the edge was that abomination of a "song" that won the Oscar last night. After cringing at both the presentation and the inarticulate acceptance speech that followed, I realized that I can no longer maintain silence on the subject. It's half-past high time to admit that I have totally had it, up to here, with that segment of our population that seems bent on destroying all semblance of intelligence, civility and propriety in our society. And I'm tired of holding my tongue to avoid accusations of racism.
Why do we passively accept the deliberate cultivation of ignorance, and then celebrate and reward it? Why is one group of Americans exempted from sharing our language, customs, manners and mores? Why do we tolerate the hypocrisy of their demand for equal acceptance while rejecting, even destroying, the very society they want to join? And why do they cling to a non-existent heritage and an invented vernacular while the rest of us are expected to adhere to our implicit rules of law and language?
Let's look at some facts: We are all descendants of immigrants, most of whom arrived less than a century ago, and almost all of whom learned to speak English as their first step toward Americanization. Yes, their English was broken, but their offsprings' was not. Yes, they established separate enclaves for awhile, but dispersed into the community within a generation or two. Yes, they worked at low-paying, menial jobs, but their children did not. Yes, they were uneducated, but their kids eagerly went to school, absorbed knowledge and made positive contributions to our society. People still come from every part of the world, striving to become an integral part of the American tapestry, generously bringing knowledge, color and texture to our uniquely diverse culture
In contrast, we have a group of people who have been native to this country for more than two hundred years, and still refuse to learn the language. They comprise twelve percent of our population, but live in self-imposed exile, where they gleefully glorify illiteracy and lawlessness, make a mockery of our standards, reward felony, and have the chutzpah to blame the rest of us for their odious behavior!
Sure, their earliest ancestors were brought here under protest, but that's hardly an excuse to sulk for two centuries. The fact is, if they were still in their country of origin, they'd be doing their damndest to get out. And if they did succeed in making it to America, they would have to learn enough about our history and culture to pass a citizenship exam, a test that would undoubtedly be failed by 90% of those who were born here.
So if I am appalled, shocked, dismayed and horrified by the systematic destruction of decency and acumen in my world, sue me. And if expressing these feelings makes me a pariah, so be it.
Y'knowmah sayin'?
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Comments: 26
"To me you are an equal. You can visit me at my home, eat with me, ask me for a favor or just about anything along these lines. Don't tell me I owe you or we will cease being friends."
As for overcoming "institutionalized racism", I was brought up in a Jewish household during a time of raging anti-Semitism in this country. I can still feel the sting of seeing signs reading "No dogs or Jews allowed" in various establishments and remember the extreme effort it took to enroll in a university with a stated quota of Jews in their admission policies. So yes, I do expect the formerly oppressed to get over it already. My whole generation did, and we arrived here long after Africans were forced to emigrate.
Each generation of Americans has its own wave of immigrants to absorb, from the Russians and Middle-Europeans of my youth to the Asians and Latinos of today. As time goes on, each minority is absorbed into the fabric of our country, sharing and melding parts of their cultures and languages with those who came before. I welcome these additions with joy. I love hearing and using words and phrases that started as "foreign" but have become integrated into our daily conversation. I will never, however, accept the mangling of correct common usage by those who receive, but reject, the same education as the rest of us.
Applying your logic, I suppose Jews should "get over it already," too. I mean, that Holocaust thing was soooooo 1940s. Or was that recent enough to qualify as something that can still be grieved? What is the statute of limitations on grief and anger?
I'm not sure why it bothers you that some people have internalized and still feel the pain of long-ago tragedies that have shaped their lives. If you are black and you live in the United States (whether or not you are American, or descended from slaves), your life has, and will continue to be, affected by the institution of slavery. Slavery was the single most influential event to shape the way "our group" views "their group." Slavery was no mere historical event - the effects of slavery are still visible today.
I know that was not your point- your point is that black people offend you because they have failed to meet your standards in the following areas: grammar, pronunciation, social assimilation, conduct, productivity, criminal activity, ambition, and social ascension. "Our group," (do you mean white, or Jewish, or both?) on the other hand, pulled ourself up by our bootstraps, assimilated, sacrificed, and succeeded. White people, or Jewish people, or whatever constitutes "our group" are superior and as such, we define the standards by which "their group" will be judged. Message received.
I could spend all day responding line by line to the illogical racist diatribe that is your article, but my head exploded while reading it, and I'm cleaning my brains off the ceiling right now.
The excellent irony of this article is that by perpetuating racist stereotypes about black people, you actually project- no, EPITOMIZE- the stereotype of the Anti-Semitic Black Person (or "Shvartzer," a term you might use when you're not wearing your Politically Correct Mask). I won't even draw the lines between your belief system and that of the Nazis- too obvious, and I'm sure a woman of your superior intellect can flesh it out on her own.
In closing: congratulations on assimilating. If you are the end result of successful assimilation in the U.S., I urge all racial "minorities" to make a conscious effort to resist assimilation.
It amazes me that this is the conclusion you drew from my article, Jackie. I have complete sympathy, compassion and empathy for anyone who lives with the emotional bruises of oppression, past or present. And my diatribe has nothing to do with race. It has only to do with the systematic destruction of a language I love and a set of ethical and moral standards I embrace. It happens that the majority of those who commit these offenses are black, but I'd be just as irritated if they were polka-dotted. I am equally pissed off at the white and latino kids who emulate these speech and behavior patterns. Further, I still fail to see the connection between bitterness caused by the ill treatment of their forebears and the deliberate cultivation of ignorance that informs the so-called "ghetto" culture.
I completely understand your outrage. It is, however, unwarranted. My quarrel is not with those of African descent; it is only with the use of the "I can't help it, my ancestors were slaves" excuse to desecrate the language and culture of the country to which they were born.
Okay, that's just genuinely funny. There's speculation that this is a spoof, and if this is a spoof, you're brilliant.
I enjoy observing the many ways in which the English language is used. I don't see "mutilation" or "distortion"- I see creativity and fascinating evolution. This is an exciting time to observe variations of the English language- I don't think it's ever had a period of such rapid evolution or change (or degeneration, as you might see it). If I can generally understand what someone is saying, I'm receiving a communication. That's what language is for. Communicating. You prefer a different level of elegance in communicating in the English language, which is fine- but your preference is not the "right" or "proper" use of the English language.
I think "da bomb" has been out of use for years. I need to brush up on my language mutilation skills. Meet you at http://www.gizoogle.com/ !
I think I said said essentially the same thing when I wrote " I think it's great that words like "chutzpah" and "google" and "wannabe" have become staples of daily conversation". I appreciate additions to the vernacular that enrich our language and delight in using them in both conversation and in my writing. Words that start out as slang are often absorbed seamlessly into mainstream vocabulary, keeping the language fresh and continually evolving. None of which has anything to do with my point: the calculated destruction of the laws that govern both our language and our civilization by those who deliberately cultivate and celebrate ignorance should not be tolerated. Period.
I beg to differ. There is such a thing as "proper English". It's the English we are taught in school, the English of education, the English that adheres to certain rules of usage and grammar. I have no quarrel with slang, regionalisms, colloquialisms, newly coined words or phrases. I enjoy them and use them with delight whenever the opportunity presents itself. What I will never accept, however are barbarisms like "he don't know nothing" and "we was conversating". Surely you can admit that this sort abuse adds nothing to the language and serves only to emphasize a negative image of the speaker.
Perhaps YOU were taught "proper English" in school. Perhaps others haven't had the educational and socioeconomic advantages you've enjoyed. Not all schools and educations are equal. Perhaps you are one of those people who will now launch into a story of how hard you had it as a child and how you pulled yourself up by your bootstraps so you could achieve your goal of becoming Protectoress of the English Language. I don't know. But consider for a moment that some people don't have the ability, opportunity, or inclination to step outside of the culture (and accompanying speech and grammar) they grow up in.
I had your standard public school education, but because of a mid-year class change, I missed almost everything about grammar and parts of speech. Seriously. I missed at least 90% of the basics, and I never learned it afterwards. I'm in no position to criticize the grammar of another. I know the phrase "dangling participle," but I don't know what it means. I probably have them dangling everywhere. I have no idea of what an adverb is. I can't diagram a sentence. And I don't care. I don't care if other people don't care. There's just more to life and people than... proper speech.
If this "abuse" emphasizes a negative image of the speaker, it's only because the recipient of the communication slavishly adheres to a discriminatory belief system that determines merit of "them" based on, of all the petty things, the use of double negatives or harmless made-up words.
I see that you are articulate, but I don't see your "love" of English. Unless you mean "love" in the Ike Turner kind of way...
"Perhaps you are one of those people who will now launch into a story of how hard you had it as a child and how you pulled yourself up by your bootstraps..." Nope. I had an ordinary childhood in a lower middle class neighborhood and attended regular public schools. I was taught the difference between a noun and an adverb and how to parse a sentence, but have retained not a word of those lessons. I did learn however, mostly through severe correction by my mother, that speaking ungrammatically and mispronouncing words would label me as ignorant and stunt my growth in the working world. I believe she was right. Her input became part of my mindset and I seriously doubt it will ever change, nor do I have any desire to change it. I do treasure my language and it will always offend me when it's abused by anyone of any race, creed or color. So sue me.
I thought the post was just overtly racist. But, since you (Ruth) have no interest in examining your particular bias on this issue, I'll stop taking the bait.
The answer you seek is simply this: my objection to the abuse of English has nothing, repeat, nothing to do with race. The fact that the most visible and vocal perpetrators happen to be black is incidental; I am equally incensed at talk show hosts and script writers who scramble tenses, pronouns, etc. and the writers of news crawls and closed captions who misspell words. In other words, I'm an equal opportunity snob.
As for rap and hip-hop, I personally can't see the "art" in these forms, but that's just one "gray-haired white lady's" opinion. The only reason I even referred to rap was because I felt that neither the song nor the barely understandable acceptance speech belonged at the Academy Awards, which generally rise to a higher standard of civility.
I hope this clears up the matter of my perceived bigotry once and for all. I'll accept the label of "intellectual elitist" if you like, but I am not now, nor have I ever been a racist.
Now THAT is hilarious satire! I totally loved it. "Rap, Ruth-style" indeed! Thank you both. Gonna go watch it again, homes (holmes?).
Ruth, I agree with you on defending the accepted
language from casual changes. Any of the various dictionaries can be used as a guidebook on proper usage with good confidence. Yearly changes to them are made by committee, which may not guarantee correctness, but does guarantee an inherent opposition to change which is almost as good. It bothers me when the language is misused in those contexts where proper use is expected. I.E. Legal documents, formal documents and letters, textbooks, news reports, classroom, etc. I've listed some of my pet peeves at the end of this comment.
(Having said that, do not consider it an invitation to run spell and grammar check on my articles and comments. And if you do, please don't bother me with the results.)
In most other contexts, it's arguably just another vernacular. Let's look at "ask". Is "ax" any worse a pronunciation than, say, pronouncing creek as "crick"? Or pronouncing feed as "fade"? Using two syllables to say the words steel and damn? I'll have to agree with you on "conversate", though. That one bothers me, too.
The point is, that it really is a vernacular. Only it isn't geographically located, it's culturally located. Do we recognize it as a legal language? Absolutely not. I was as ecstatic to see that ebonics was not elevated to the level of a language as I would have been had the issue been over cajun, southern dialects, new jersery dialects or any other variation on U.S. English.
But to use it in song, literature, movies or any other work of art? In everyday life? Sure. I have a friend who compares rap and hip-hop to the beat poetry of the fifties and early sixties. Not in style or even content, to be sure. But in the way that it plays with words, sounds, rhythms and concepts. As much as I don't care for rap or hip-hop, I'll have to agree with him. Rock-n-roll, poetry, Shakespeare... they all used language, created words to create an effect, twisted meanings, use verbs and nouns in new ways. All in an effort to translate a concept more clearly.
Do I understand the vernacular? No. And there are times when blatant grammatical errors make me cringe. But English is a living, changing language. Not every variation will be widespread or become part of the official lexicon. I don't inherently oppose any demographic from playing with the language. As in Darwinian evolution, if it doesn't work, it'll die. If it adds to the richness of the language, it will last.
As for me, I'm fixing to go to bed. I reckon I'll head on down to the kitchen and get me a glass of milk. When it comes to getting sleepy, boy howdy, if that don't beat all.
Some of my pet peeves...
1) I'm embarrassed my president says "nookular". Where'd he learn to say it like that, anyway? Mom and Dad don't say it like that.
2) People have never "sleeped". They've only slept. Just as they've only lept and have never "leaped". I have noticed this in print and speech as proper usage and it's becoming widespread. Try finding it in the online Oxford Dictionary. HELP STAMP OUT "SLEEPED"!!!
3) "I could care less". Don't you mean you *couldn't* care less? Aren't you trying to convey the idea that nothing concerns you less than whatever it is you're talking about?