Letters to the Editor: 01.23.97

Ebonics

Amagansett

January 19, 1997

To The Editor:

My wife and I have been reading many opinions on the subject of Ebonics, not only in your newspaper, but in about a jillion other publications as well. Lots of folks seem to be against Ebonics, not too many in favor of it. Both sides are missing an important point. Whatever justification exists for the teaching of the correct use of an African American dialect must also exist for training in other American dialects.

My wife is a Japanese American, and I am a Jewish American. As such, we feel that it is discrimination at its ugliest that our children are not being taught Nipponics ("Nozumu, what is the past pluperfect of the sentence "I am lunning in the leray lace on Flyday?") or Heebonics ("Shlomo, conjugate the verb 'to schlepp.' "I schlepp, you schlepp, we schlepp, he sits, she sits, they say nothing.").

Search as we might, we could not find a single school which is currently teaching either, let alone both. (Actually, we haven't got any children, but we'll have a couple, 'cause that's how strongly we feel about this.)

Also, I don't think we are alone in feeling left out. German American children should be taught their Teutonics, Italian kids their Macaronics, French their Tresbonics, Chinese their Wontonics, Cubans their Castronics, East Enders their Bonics, and West Enders their Nonbonics.

We are convinced that this is the way to go. Personally, I am in strong disagreement with those who think that this approach is wrong. There are several excellent precedents for breaking a language down to the point of interpersonal incomprehensibility. The oldest known deliberate effort to make people unable to make themselves understood was made by no less an authority on right and wrong than God himself, at the Tower of Babel. The most recent deliberate effort which comes to mind is being made on an ongoing basis by the Internal Revenue Service.

And, closer to home, let's not forget the writings of G. Richert, whose letters in your newspaper (written in You'reputtingmeonics) are such masterpieces of impenetrability that there are several cults in California who live by his printed words.

One last thought, while we're at it. In consideration of those poor unfortunates who have no ethnic minority background to call their own, we could have a completely separate language for each profession in America. Doctors could speak their Bubonics, chefs their Greypouponics, bartenders their Ginandtonics, plumbers their Fixthejonics, and attorneys their Chronicmoronics. (This last one is already in place.) Members of national organizations could speak their Masonics, Lionics, Kiwanics, or Knightsofcolonics.

Abandoning the teaching of Ebonics may well be a step 100 percent in the wrong direction. It will be just one more thing being taken away from minorities. Nobody would listen to David Brenner when he pointed out that we were making a big mistake in trying to reduce air pollution. How much healthier we would all be if we had followed his advice to increase the size of air pollution until it became too big to fit in our noses.

Sincerely,

WILLIAM R. SAGAL

Quality Of Life

Amagansett

January 17, 1997

Dear Helen,

I live on Mulford Lane near Lazy Point. I would like to comment on your article and editorial about bringing town water to Lazy Point.

You speculated that we were seizing the opportunity to "piggy-back" with the coming of public water to Landfall. Really, this was not a factor. The motivation is very simply our concern about our quality of life, primarily our health.

You stated in the editorial that "surely the people of Lazy Point have learned to live with the poor quality of their water." This situation unfortunately is not about an exercise of will, of mind over matter. The quality of our water is poor. In many cases, coliform is present. This is a threat to our physical well-being which we all must consider a priority.

Lazy Point is an incredibly fragile area. I personally don't want to see it overdeveloped. Nor do the neighbors I've talked to. The land just couldn't handle it. I'm looking forward to helping to bring decent water to Lazy Point while discouraging any misuse or overdevelopment of the land.

Thank you,

BARBARA DiLORENZO

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