Originally published at Poor as Folk and reprinted with permission.
The above response is perfect. The author is David Gerrold.
As a writer, I appreciate grammar and spelling. As a human being, I recognize that because some people don’t speak or write with “perfect English” does not disqualify them from earning a living wage.
Perhaps I am able to see this because I was raised by my Grandpa who had to drop out of school in the 6th grade to help support his Mom and six younger siblings after his father died.
Or because I have step-children who were raised in another country and speak English as a second language. They also speak Chinese and step-daughter also speaks French, Flemish, and Dutch but this doesn’t matter at all to employers and assholes of the general population who only hear an accent and “broken” English.
Or because I have a child with a learning disability.
But I’m a firm believer in the idea that we don’t need personal experiences to help us empathize or acknowledge obstacles others face. So, get it together people. Use of language as you might deem ideal is not a reason for someone to struggle.
This does not only apply to the assholes like in the meme who are probably Republican fans of the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps!” myth. Liberals/Democrats will mock those with other political ideals openly for their lack of academically acceptable grammar. They call them hillbillies and call them stupid, ignoring lack of education or cultural differences. This has always been interesting to me since education is a thing that Liberals/Democrats seem to really love but they can’t recognize that what they’re mocking may be a symptom of what they supposedly champion for?
That’s all bad, but worse is that White Liberals most definitely exclude the voices of poor and marginalized people who do not present as articulate and well spoken. When looking for a voice or face to use as a representation of the living wage cause, they most definitely choose to boost those who are “mainstream friendly.”
Trust me, I know. I’m an educated, White lady who is constantly used as an example of “good people who are poor through no fault of their own.” It’s offensive as hell. Knock it off. There are women in my exact predicament and far worse who deserve to be recognized and heard, no matter what language or dialect or speech patterns they use.
