BlogEvolve.com

After reading Ellie's post on writing and reading the comments on the use and misuse of my beloved language, I wanted to add this, originally posted on Blogster.com.

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 this year's Oscar. 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 become part of? 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 knowlege 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 uniqely 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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