Blinded by self-importance

THE EDITOR, Sir:

DIS HARGUMENT habout patwa been ha languige his hamusin yu nouw sar, but it is also symptomatic of the general dumbing down which has been going on in this society.

We evidently are incapable of understanding English, so says our eminent linguists, so we need to declare broken English a language so that the linguists among us can feel important. I would bet that every Jamaican understands simple English. Everyone may not understand everyone else's version of the language, just as how not everyone understands the various versions of Patois.

Many people fail to communicate because they choose to use highfalutin language designed to impress. Yet, others will use language which is simple and clear and are able to communicate with the most illiterate. The examples cited by your columnist Carolyn Cooper is clearly a case of a pompous judge who is blinded by her self-importance, and in no way lend any weight to the pro-Patois lobby.

not enough languages

The student who chided Mr Seaga for his 'ignorance' should have kept his mouth shut and no one could dare to accuse him of stupidity. Are there not enough languages available for study? Why should we contrive to create more? Yet another of your contributors cite the fact that some foreigners refer to Patois as a language means it has to be, so who are we to say otherwise?

We do not seek to raise people up, we descend or sometimes condescend and contrive to shoot ourselves in the foot at every level. We have destroyed civility, we have flattened the pyramid and one can hardly distinguish our leaders from the followers.The law of the jungle is supreme. In all this debate not one person has mentioned the cost of bilingualism. It is an extremely costly undertaking and, fortunately, this may become the inhibiting factor to implementing this madness which, I am sure, some populist politician will try to support if he is convinced it will get him votes.

I am, etc.,

Carlton A. Reynolds

carlton.rennie.reynolds@gmail.com