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Reader comment on:
City's Polish Community Up in Arms Over Stereotypes in Article
in response to reader comment: To our friend Dave

Submitted by Nora Spriggs, Nov 30, 2006 12:28

I sympathize with the frustration, anger and hurt expressed by Polish-Americans, and other people who were shocked and upset with the content of Langlieb's article. I also understand the revulsion with which lovers of good satire met his writing.

I am a Haverford grad, and at the moment, I am furious. If this was the only thing I knew about the college, I too would have come to the conclusion that it was a breeding ground for the kind of disdainful, elitist and classist sentiments that compel people to make such thoughtless comments. However, I know Dave, and if I thought that he actually believed Polish people to be less intelligent and clean than himself, I would be knocking at his door at this very moment to chew him out personally. I know that he does not. However, what I know does not matter; what he said was not only without context, but without taste, merit or -- surprisingly -- respect.

I understand the reason for the swings at Haverford, but I request that if you protest at generalizations about a small population, sir -- Bart M. as you have identified yourself -- I request that you do not make them about us. I agree that it was an EGREGIOUS oversight to allow such an article in our college magazine. But if you think that somehow Haverford has made it its business to inculcate anti-Polish sentiments in its students, or to oppose all marginalized populations of the world, you are sorely mistaken. For more on that, please visit www.haverford.edu/cpgc. For all the work that our school has done to promote peace, global citizenship and social responsibility both in and out of the classroom to be outweighed by one example of offensive language and terribly written satire frustrates me to no end.

To Bart M., or anyone else, If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me. I assure you that I am not snotty. Nor am I wimpy. I am girly, but hopefully you will forgive that, since I am a girl. I do not live near an Urban Outfitters. In Quakerism, we have a tradition: when a bond of trust is broken -- as in this instance -- we try as hard as we can to repair it through mutual understanding. I hope that I, as a Haverford graduate, can begin that process. Thank you.

nora.spriggs@gmail.com

Note: Comments are screened, and in some cases edited, before posting. We reserve the right to reject anything we find objectionable.

Other reader comments on this article

Comment By Date

After reading the "Black Squirrel's Burden" written by David Langlieb'05, I became ill. I felt like I received an ulcer... [MORE]

Mrs. Teresa Wojcik

Nov 20, 2006 15:26

I have nothing against satire, but I find Mr. Langlieb's attempt at "satire" in this article quite pathetic. Simply put...it... [MORE]

Karen M

Nov 12, 2006 18:50

It is the highest time that we learn to laugh at ourselves just like the members of other nationalities do!... [MORE]

Liliana

Nov 11, 2006 16:39

You might be educated, but not smart enough to see that this was written to offend a great population of... [MORE]

Zbigniew Z.

Nov 21, 2006 22:59

David Langlieb should have studied history..... During the Holocaust the greatest number of Gentile rescuers of Jews were Poles, despite the... [MORE]

Zbigniew Z.

Nov 8, 2006 00:33

Hon. Michael R. BloombergCity HallNew York, NY 10007 Re: Park's Department Employee David Langlieb Dear Mayor Bloomberg, In a recent published article to... [MORE]

Adrian Baron

Nov 7, 2006 12:49

i don't care much about his apology. damage has been done and man should be panished. it is time to... [MORE]

jan jakubik

Nov 7, 2006 22:12

i don't care much about his apology. damage has been done and man should be panished. it is time to... [MORE]

jan jakubik

Nov 7, 2006 22:19

Mr. David Langlieb is trying to defend his own article entitled "The Black Squirrel's Burden" as a "satire". Filled with... [MORE]

Mariusz B

Nov 7, 2006 07:51

After reading David's's article titled " The Black Squirrel's Burden", I was deeply offended by his remarks even tough I... [MORE]

Bart. M

Nov 7, 2006 00:09

I sympathize with the frustration, anger and hurt expressed by Polish-Americans, and other people who were shocked and upset with...

Nora Spriggs

Nov 30, 2006 12:28

The article reveals reveals the darkest side of U.S. Nowadays, it is extremely hard to find people of this sort... [MORE]

prawy wrzesniowy

Nov 6, 2006 12:45

If there is anything that is true it only reveals the darkest side of U.S. Nowadays, it is extremely hard... [MORE]

prawy wrzesniowy

Nov 5, 2006 02:25

A note from Adolf Hitler's desk, Berlin August 1939 On August 22, 1939, a few days before the official start of... [MORE]

marie glowacki

Nov 4, 2006 23:21

it's really simple! take Langlieb's piece, replace Greenpoint with Midwood, Williamsburg or one of many other Brooklyn's hideous neighborhoods, replace... [MORE]

Hans Kloss

Nov 4, 2006 11:45

You know, I have nothing eloquent, pretty or witty to say. I am not an English major but a biology... [MORE]

Maggie Pogorzelska

Nov 3, 2006 23:30

It personally hurts my pride when I hear offensive remarks under the Polish people's address. However I cannot help but... [MORE]

Dominika Binkowska

Nov 3, 2006 21:12

The writer of the article in question is definitely no Jonathan Swift. Being of Polish extraction I got use to... [MORE]

GLisowski

Nov 3, 2006 15:32

I like satire as much as the next person, and I am the first to point out the failings and... [MORE]

Ania

Nov 3, 2006 14:59

The spokesman for the Department of Parks and Recreation, Warner Johnston, says that Mr. Langlieb is "writing as a private... [MORE]

Christina Gutt

Nov 3, 2006 12:52

I wholeheartedly agree with Ms. Gutt's comments. A rereading of the article also makes me question the ethnic derivation of... [MORE]

Marianne Wojciechowicz-Metelitz

Nov 3, 2006 15:30

I was very offended by Mr. Langlieb's article. The polish culture has contributed a great deal of "good" to the... [MORE]

Theodore Sliwinski, Esq.

Nov 8, 2006 21:13

I am a Polish immigrant but I have to admit that ultimately, I liked Mr. Langlieb's article. Of course, I... [MORE]

JK

Nov 3, 2006 11:10

I too am a Polish immigrant and thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Langlieb's article. While perhaps there weren't enough obvious winks to... [MORE]

SM

Nov 3, 2006 13:27

Amazed? Good satire? I cannot believe that an educated young man who must have done brilliantly in college English could express... [MORE]

A.B

Nov 3, 2006 14:32

The article is clearly a satirical piece with a self-deprecating coda. It is written in a provocative, albeit heavily sophomore... [MORE]

Jarek Wieczorek

Nov 3, 2006 15:10

If you are a Polish emigrant like you stated why are you hiding your name? Adam Szenk [MORE]

Adam Szenk

Nov 3, 2006 17:09

Haverford graduate Langlieb, with his pathetic attempt at satire, unnecessarily gambled with the emotions of a whole ethnic group that... [MORE]

Stefan Komar

Nov 4, 2006 18:27

very, very sad indeed... [MORE]

Gabe Mazurkiewicz

Nov 5, 2006 04:11

Dear All, We always have to fight with all the klishes other nations have about Poles...they do not know anything about... [MORE]

sylwi

Nov 7, 2006 11:55

Dear JK, Mr. Langlieb's sense of humor is not shared with the majority. If that kind of satire was officially accepted,... [MORE]

Justyna Ball

Nov 8, 2006 10:01

Mr. Stefan Komar is to be commended for his thoughtful and measured response. Personally, I do not feel offended by... [MORE]

Eva Hoffman-Jedruch

Nov 15, 2006 17:10

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