These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Friday, July 11, 2008

Grousing

I haven't traveled by air since about March 2006. It has been by choice because I am an thoroughly enjoying the driving, seeing America at eye level. But recent changes and threats of changes make it even less likely that I will do much air travel.


So, what do you think? If people manage to squeeze enough into carry-on bags, then what? If the airline doesn't get our money via paying for luggage, how will they make it up? My best guess is by filling the cargo bay with shipments. This is all just part of the effects of Bush-onomics, and we all have to live through it, but I know many of us will be doing far less traveling of all kinds for a while.




Another thing that crossed my mind is how we choose our words.

Or perhaps I should say, how some people don't choose. Or at least don't think before they open their mouths. I've overheard several comments in recent weeks that just make me wonder about people, how they decide to let words out and show the world who they are.

About a local woman who was English, married an American serviceman and has lived in the US for many years, recently taking citizenship here: "I just love to hear her talk. Sometimes I can't understand her, but her accent is so lovely!" She does have a thick, very "literary" accent, and I sometimes have to listen with care myself.

About some French guests at the Gallery: "Don't you just love to hear people speak with a French accent? It is soooooo sexy!"

About a waitress with an accent of obvious Hispanic origin: "I wish they would learn to speak (English) right if they're gonna live here." If you'll notice, the grammar of this is poor or in the speaker's vernacular, not "right."

About watching the TV show "Cane" when it first came on: "Oh, it's about Cubans? Oh, good, I might watch it. I thought it was about Mexicans."

What is it in our society that makes people so critical about those of Hispanic heritage? And I'm always a bit miffed when Mexicans are placed at the bottom of that group, at least places I've lived recently, NM and KCMO. People living in Florida have more issues with Haitians and others from the islands. These are just a few examples of things I've heard or read over time, but recent enough that I could quote them pretty closely. I suppose that the Mexican immigrants are today's versions of the Irish or the Chinese as a couple examples from generations past, those who come to the US and are willing to do the kinds of labor that many (most?) of us might not be willing to do.

Let's assume for the moment that the US economy tanked (assume??) and that the French economy would make it possible to live life more comfortably. I wonder what the lady who thought the French accent was so delightful would think if she were to emigrate to France, considering she had to learn the language, take a job cleaning up after French citizens, be considered second class in society? What if the citizens of her new country scorned her for having an accent?

I donno. I realize I'm sensitive to this because I have a lovely, well-educated DIL who still speaks with a strong Mexican accent, even after living in the US for over 20 years, and I have seen how people look at her with disdain or talk down to her, at times. They don't know her, and some don't bother to get to know her and her story before judging her.

Our country is called The Land of Opportunity. Our National Lady, the Statue of Liberty, welcomes immigrants with
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
But I don't know that we believe it. Maybe across the tracks, but not in "my neighborhood." This is sad.

When did the Immigration and Naturalization Service become U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement? I haven't looked up the date of the change, but that says a lot, doesn't it? And when I hear people talk about our "national security," as related to the Mexican border it makes me laugh! The terrorists aren't coming in through that border!! It's the poor people trying to eke out a living, willing to clean toilets that are there! There ARE some known terrorist group cells of Middle East origin in Canada, but are we talking about building a wall across that border? NO!! (Besides a wall isn't gonna stop terrorists, for goodness sake!!)

I was also reading about Barack Obama and the multitude of crap being thrown at him ... being Islamic, taking his oath for Congress on the Qaran, etc. The unread public fears him for nonsense!! I'm getting the most ridiculous emails about that, and I'm firing them back with references to the truths. Anyone can look these things up, read about them and know the bottom line, but as a whole, our population doesn't research, speaks without thinking of consequences, and believes silly gossip. And makes political choices based on looks, smiles, and charisma, not political records, campaign platforms, etc. Each of us owes it to ourselves and our friends to be well-read, well informed, and not make assumptions!!!

OK, I have to go to work for a while and I have to get ready, so I need to stop my rant. While I'm away, tell me .... what is your opinion? Are you as tired as I of hearing garbage out of the mouths of people who don't think first? And have you considered that they have the same voting rights as you do?

12 comments:

  1. I'm not sure I would want people passing an intelligence test to become able to vote. People are who they are, I guess.

    Are you sure you want to use the example of going to France though? Seems to be that I just heard that they're the rudest to tourists over there.

    Speaking of ethnic groups and their misrepresentation, my pet peeve is that, being of Polish heritage, you almost never find someone with a Polish surname in a position of power. Say Congressman. You will find lots of ethnic surnames among the rolls in Congress, but last time I checked, nothing that ended in a ski or a czak.

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  2. I try not to judge or put people down because I do not want judged or put down. We need to go back to having manners and being taught if we cant say anything nice then its probably best to keep our mouths shut.

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  3. I get frustrated that people think that all immigrants are bad and are the cause of our demise. (Much like the homosexuals that are are single handedly ruining society!!) For instance, I deal with a fair number of undocumented parents, and they are working hard to make their lives better here for their children and families. I couldn't imagine what it must have been like to live in their situations in their countries. I am in no place to judge what they should or shouldn't have access to. There are folks in our own country who are messing things up far beyond what these folks might be doing, but since they are citizens it is ok.

    I do wish we would spend more of our governments money on those here in our own country that need it . . .I don't think that is selfish, but just a thought that we take care of our house first before messing with other people's.

    I don't know what the answer is. I am also very weary of the PC talk. You can't say anything anymore without being offensive to someone. I try to carefully choose my words, but in the back of my head I know that someone will be offended and there's little I can do about that.

    I was recently told I cannot call my brother mentally retarded anymore, and he is now called something else which I can't even remember because he has been called so many things.

    Can't we all just get along? Seems the more we work toward peace, the more distanced and isolating the world becomes.

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  4. Dave, I'm not saying there should be an intelligence elimination process for voting. I'm simply saying that each of us *owns the responsibility* to educate ourselves about the candidates, the issues, and to do *informed voting* not emotional or whimsical decision making.

    The French rude??? NO!! I think that is part of my point. I wonder how "cute" the French accent would be if she had to exist as a sub-equal in that population, just as we often treat foreigners, especially of certain nationalities, with rudeness and disrespect here.

    OK, Dave, are you asking me to campaign to have persons of Polish descent put on ballots? I can do that, but on the other hand I wonder .... are your people too smart to let themselves get caught up in it???

    Redfrog,I agree with you on that. Now .... how do we get people to do that??

    Beans, yeah, this kind of issue is wide spread across many groups, for sure. I try to be respectful of preferred language and terms and to be PC in my vernacular, but it is hard to keep up with what's "now." And while we are spending time doing that, the actual treatment of our fellow humans is slovenly in many cases. I'm just weary of it all.

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  5. I've gotten some of those emails too about Obama and they make me SO mad.Y You'd think that the people who sent them to me would know how I offended I'd be, but no....ugh!

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  6. Cheryl, yep, exactly why I said people don't think before the open their mouths .... or put their fingers to the keyboard. Ugh, indeed!

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  7. I live in the Pacific Northwest and we have a large population of Russian and Mexican immigrants. We have special classes in our schools for them and we even have a facilitator who works with the migrant worker population. I hear people complain about these people all the time. There are stereotypes everywhere. It is very easy to fall into the trap of stereotyping if we are not careful. I find myself going to Muchas Gracias (an absolutely wonderful food place!) and saying under my breath when I'm done ordering "Geez, if they're gonna live here, can't they learn to speak English?" Is that stereotyping? I don't know. I get so frustrated at not being able to remember my high school Spanish and I'm sure the people taking my order get frustrated at not being able to understand me. It's a difficult situation sometimes but there it is. We traveled to Mexico at Christmas and I have to tell you it was very unsettling to be in a country where the main language was not English so I have a better understanding of what it must be like to have the shoe on the other foot. I've never been prejudiced and the comment I mutter under my breath is the only one I have. Some of the sweetest people I know are of some other heritage or descent than I and we all get along just fine. I do have issues with illegal immigration however, no wall in the world is going to stop that or terrorists. This wall costs a lot of money that, quite frankly, is needed elsewhere...like in say, New Orleans or the Midwest where all the flooding and tornadoes have been or any of a gazillion other places I can think of off the top of my head. Geez, I didn't realize that attempting to answer this would lead to a rant on my part. Oy. Who knew? I wish people would realize that we are all much more alike than we are different. No matter what color our skin or what language we speak. We are all people. With feelings and families and thoughts and hopes and dreams and troubles. Wouldn't it be fabulous if we could remember that more often?

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  8. What an excellent post Lynilu. For years I have struggled with what comes out of people's mouths and they just don't "get it". They have no clue that the way they speak, the things they say can be and often are offensive.

    What has happened to us as a culture? It used to be profanity but I think we have become so used to hearing profanity that we don't notice. So now we notice other crudities.

    Bottom line -- I still don't like to hear ANYTHING offensive. The language we are given to use is a beautiful thing and there is nothing more joyful than hearing it spoken well.

    What we see so much of it what refrog27 said -- lack of manners. And lack of respect.

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  9. I just wrote a small post about an illegal immigrant from Mexico who eventually became a surgeon researching how to cure brain cancer. I think the US is quite impolite to our neighbors to the south. I am not a fan of the wall.

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  10. Traci, your ranting is OK, as it is right with my own rantings! Are you old enough (if so, you would have been just a bitty-baby!!) to remember .... "Why can't we all just get along?"? Yeah .... why can't we?

    Sherry, thanks. You have added some more of my own thoughts .... offensive language of ANY kind, just doesn't belong in our world. We will all make mistakes, but to be repeatedly rude and offensive is .... well, rude and offensive. The ARE many beautiful words in our language, in all the world languages, and to use derisive and divisive words just ruins it.

    M, I'll drop by and read your post. The thing is, there are so many "foreigners" who have contributed to our culture and our future, and to pass over these things is just unforgivable.

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  11. I know down here in SC the mexicans and the blacks have a LOT of run-ins. Not racial-profiling or anything that is what I am seeing with my own eyes.

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  12. Patti, that's not uncommon just about anywhere, I'm afraid. Usually gang undertones to it, I think.

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If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!