W odpowiedzi na e-maile sluchaczy proszacych o podanie linku do paszkwilanckiego artykulu Davida Langlieba informuje, ze artykul zniknal ze strony gdzie byl opublikowany. W zwiazku z tym zamieszczam pelna jego tresc oraz kilka zwiazanych z nim materialow.
“Haverford Magazine
The Black Squirrel’s Burden
by David Langlieb ’05What separates a Haverford education from a Yale education or a University of Phoenix education? You guessed it: A commitment to social and civic responsibility. This is why after graduating from Haverford in 2005 I decided to move to a neighborhood where I knew I could make a difference.
That neighborhood was Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Greenpoint is a tightly knit, working class, semi-urban community of first- and second-generation Polish immigrants. It’s the kind of place where the old ladies shop at Gus’s Fruit Stand instead of Wal-Mart, and parents take their kids to the park on Sunday nights to play softball and drink lemonade.
Communities like Greenpoint are a dying breed in America, and thank God for that. Try ordering a Venti Caramel Macchiato at the Franklin Street “coffee shop” and you’ll see what I mean. While the community has several problems, most of them come back to the high density of Polish people infesting its rowhouses. Mocking Poles for being stupid is perhaps the last form of politically correct prejudice, as well as the most accurate.
The other day I asked a local Polak shopkeeper if he’d heard the one about the Polish guy who tried to fill up his gas tank by driving the car in reverse. The shopkeeper didn’t respond because he’d accidentally put his pants on his head that morning and the waistband was cutting off his hearing.
I’m kidding, of course, but Greenpoint’s problems are no laughing matter, and they won’t be solved by teaching the locals how to wear pants. The Greenpoint business district, for example, is even uglier than the morons who work there. Shoddy hand-made signage pollutes the storefront windows, and some of the signs aren’t even in English. A friendly corporate logo or two would do wonders for the place. The good news is that it looks like they’re opening a Blimpie on Calyer Street, where Ula’s Deli used to reside. I’m not sure what they’re doing with Ula, but maybe if she promises to clean her ears once in awhile they’ll let her work the cash register.
Amidst these modest improvements are a few old-school New York charms. I’ll admit that I was kind of intrigued by the bearded alcoholic homeless man who lives outside the subway station. That was cute for about five minutes. But day after day with the nonsensical screaming and the pointing.get over yourself, buddy.
So why do I live in Greenpoint? Because if I didn’t, then it wouldn’t get any better. Oh sure, I could move to SoHo or the Upper East Side like some of my fellow Haverford graduates who care only about themselves. But those places have already been saved and they don’t need my help. If my Haverford education has taught me anything, it’s that social change doesn’t happen overnight. You must, if necessary, be willing to endure months of living without a Lord & Taylor in the immediate area.
Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve done wonders for the community. My non-ethnic whiteness, above average hygiene, and dependable income have already attracted new investments to Greenpoint. Private developers are within months of breaking ground on a massive high-rise condominium complex on the Greenpoint waterfront. There’ll be a rooftop pool, a fitness center, and gorgeous views of the Manhattan skyline from across the East River. It’s not quite perfect-a small percentage of the apartments will go to low-income
families-but nine tenths of a loaf is better than none.
One thing I do worry about is that Greenpoint will gentrify incorrectly. This is what’s happening in adjacent Williamsburg, where the Hasidic Jews are being displaced by hipsters. Sure, their parents give them enough money to keep the neighborhood looking decent, but the new population is almost as annoying as the old one. And yes, they do wear suits and ties sometimes, but only to be ironic. No thank you.
I’d hate to see that happen to Greenpoint, because it has so much potential.
It’s a place I’d like to raise my kids: Within a stone’s throw of Manhattan, amidst lawyers and investment bankers, and as shut off from civil society as humanly possible. I dream of a Greenpoint where Banana Republic is open all night, where groceries are ordered over the Internet, and where the churches are converted to mixed-use parking facilities. Mine is a Greenpoint of the future, sensitive to the desires of its residents who so desperately need a racquet club and driving range. Or who will, anyway, after the vermin are gone.
So join me, my fellow Greenpointians. That is, if you’re literate enough to understand what I’ve written.”
David Langlieb is a project manager for the New York City Parks Department.
USA/ Polacy oburzeni ośmieszającym artykułem
PAP
2006-11-04, ostatnia aktualizacja 2006-11-04 08:24
4.11.Nowy Jork (PAP) – Wzburzenie Polaków w metropolii nowojorskiej wywoÅ‚aÅ‚ artykuÅ‚ napisany przez Davida Langlieba pracownika Departamentu Parków i Rekreacji miasta Nowy Jork, który w wulgarny sposób oÅ›miesza Greenpoint i mieszkajÄ…cÄ… tam PoloniÄ™
W obronie Polonii wystÄ…piÅ‚o dwóch radnych miasta Nowy Jork, a także nowojorskie dzienniki “Daily News” i “New York Sun”. W piÄ…tkowych wydaniach opublikowaÅ‚y one artykuÅ‚y informujÄ…ce o skandalicznym tekÅ›cie Langlieba, który jest zatrudniony na stanowisku menedżerskim w Departamencie Parków i RekreacjiAlex StorożyÅ„ski, znany amerykaÅ„ski dziennikarz polskiego pochodzenia i laureat nagrody Pulitzera zażądaÅ‚ w emailu wysÅ‚anym do szefa Departamentu Parków i Rekreacji – Adriana Benepe zwolnienia z pracy autora kontrowersyjnego tekstu. “To oburzajÄ…ce, by pracownik Departamentu Parków napisaÅ‚ coÅ› takiego. (…) SÅ‚owa ‘gÅ‚upi’, czy ‘robactwo’ w odniesieniu do Polaków sÄ… nie do przyjÄ™cia. Dlatego należy go wyrzucić z pracy za ten obrzydliwy pokaz uprzedzenia rasowego”
Kontrowersyjny artykuÅ‚ ukazaÅ‚ siÄ™ w jesiennym wydaniu pisma dla absolwentów uczelni Haverford College. Langlieb ocenia, że Greenpoint jest “brzydszy niż debile, którzy tam pracujÄ…”
MieszkaÅ„ców polskiej dzielnicy ocenia mianem “robactwa”, które “powinno siÄ™ stÄ…d wyprowadzić”
“SpytaÅ‚em polskiego sklepikarza, czy sÅ‚yszaÅ‚ o Polaku, który chciaÅ‚ zatankować samochód jadÄ…c na wstecznym biegu. Sklepikarz nie usÅ‚yszaÅ‚ pytania, gdyż tego ranka przypadkowo zaÅ‚ożyÅ‚ sobie majtki na gÅ‚owÄ™ i guma zatkaÅ‚a mu uszy”- napisaÅ‚ autor kontrowersyjnego tekstu
Z protestem do władz Haverford College wystąpili m.in. John Micgiel, profesor polskiego pochodzenia na prestiżowej Columbia University, a także Stefan Komar, jeden z liderów Stowarzyszenia Pułaskiego przy nowojorskiej policji (NYPD)
David Langlieb, który od roku mieszka na Greenpoincie, w wypowiedzi dla “Daily News” broniÅ‚ swojego artykuÅ‚u okreÅ›lajÄ…c go jako satyrÄ™. “Nie mam żadnych uprzedzeÅ„, a jedynie miÅ‚ość i upodobanie dla polskiej spoÅ‚ecznoÅ›ci” – oÅ›wiadczyÅ‚
“Nie da siÄ™ usprawiedliwić sÅ‚owem satyra faktu, że ktoÅ› jest znieważony. OkreÅ›leÅ„ robactwo i podludzie wobec Polaków i Å»ydów używali naziÅ›ci” – ripostowaÅ‚ Frank Milewski, szef Kongresu Polonii AmerykaÅ„skiej na stan Nowy Jork
John Liu, radny miejski, w oÅ›wiadczeniu przesÅ‚anym w sobotÄ™ PAP uznaÅ‚, że tekst Langlieba jest “wypowiedziÄ… nienawiÅ›ci”, która “ostatecznie prowadzi do przemocy wobec ludzi”. Liu zaapelowaÅ‚ do burmistrza Nowego Jorku, by “pracownicy urzÄ™du miasta musieli odpowiadać za sformuÅ‚owania prowadzÄ…ce do podziałów i stwarzajÄ…ce mylne stereotypy wobec ważnej części spoÅ‚ecznoÅ›ci Nowego Jorku”
Rzecznik Departamentu ds. Parków stwierdził, że tekst Langlieba jest wyrazem jego prywatnych poglądów. Z kolei rzecznik Haverford College, John Van Ness stwierdził, że tekst był napisany niezręcznie i wymagane jest powołanie doradczego komitetu redakcyjnego pisma. Ness poinformował, że uczelnia nie będzie przepraszać za kontrowersyjny tekst
Dr. Thomas R. Tritton, President
Haverford College
370 Lancaster Avenue
Haverford, PA 19041-1392Dear Dr. Tritton:
I read with great dismay the appalling article entitled “The Black Squirrel’s Burden” by David Langlieb in the Fall 2006 issue of Haverford Alumni Magazine. Certainly the author is entitled to his views, and in a land of free speech is entitled to publish them in any
medium that is willing to print them. But is it in the interests of such a prestigious institution as Haverford to print such views? Neo-Nazi parties also have the constitutional right to spout hatred about untermenschen Blacks and Jews – would your magazine publish it? And yet you publish bigotry aimed at untermenschen Poles. How does that relate to “the values of individual dignity, academic
strength and tolerance upon which [Haverford] was founded”, as stated on your web site? Evidently, your institution failed miserably in conveying these values to this particular alumnus, who in his article ties his views to his Haverford education.
Perhaps David Langlieb will say that this was meant as a joke, a parody. I submit to you that a slur, ethnic or otherwise, is no less hurtful in a joke. The nation was recently outraged by another joke gone bad, by Senator John Kerry. And even if Mr. Langlieb meant it as such, it is impossible for the reader to tell where his views end and the parody begins. In that case, Haverford has failed
in yet another of its educational missions, that of teaching effective writing skills.
Dr. Tritton, you owe the good people of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and the entire 9-million strong Polish-American community, a sincere apology.
We expect you to strongly and publicly disavow Mr. Langlieb’s views and to prevent such venom from being published in the future.Respectfully,
Thaddeus Mirecki
Member, Council of National Directors
Polish American Congress
Here are some stories about it in the press:
City’s Polish Community Up in Arms Over Stereotypes in Article
By ANNIE KARNI
http://www.nysun.com/article/42890
Satire or Stupid to Slam Greenpoint
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2006/11/03/satire_or_stupi.php
[This quotes a large part of the original article.]
City worker Polish ‘joke’ bombs out
BY NICOLE BODE and CORKY SIEMASZKO
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/467927p-393681c.html
http://www.gawker.com/news/poles/polacks-protest-haverford-alums-satire-212162.php
Adresy e-mailowe do asystentów prezydenta tej uczelni:
jwankmil@haverford.edu
pollock@haverford.edu
Adres do przelozonego Davida Langlieb:
Commissioner Adrian Benepe
NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
The Arsenal, Central Park
830 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10021
e-mail mozna wyslac z tej strony:
http://nyc.gov/html/mail/html/maildpr.html
Czy stwierdzenie ze autor artykulu jest Zydem jest aktem antysemityzmu? – zapytala mnie zaniepokojona sluchaczka?
Dalsze odsylacze :
http://boobtubers.blogspot.com/2006/11/media-tubers-we-break-silence-as-one.html
http://www.owenbloggers.com/isha/2006/11/satire_or_insul.html
http://www.r8ny.com/node/8133
http://yh.yayhooray.com/thread/99810/Meanerings-on-Greenpoint-Brklyn
http://tailrank.com/779469/City-worker-Polish-joke-bombs-out
http://www.gawker.com/news/david%20langlieb/
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1732086/posts
City worker apologizes for penning Polish slur
A city worker who came under fire for penning an essay using ethnic slurs to describe Polish-Americans in his Brooklyn neighborhood has apologized.
David Langlieb, a 23-year-old Parks Department project manager, issued a mea culpa for writing Greenpoint was “even uglier than the morons who work there” in the essay for his college alumni magazine.
“I would like to apologize to anyone offended by my essay, which I wrote as a private citizen, not as a city employee …,” Langlieb said in a statement released yesterday.
Langlieb said he was attempting to write a satirical piece in the vein of Jonathan Swift, the 18th century author of “Gulliver’s Travels” known for his biting social commentary.
“In doing so, I was not sufficiently sensitive to the power of historical stereotypes, even when invoked for the purpose of satire,” Langlieb said.
In the essay for the Haverford College alumni magazine, Langlieb referred to Greenpoint residents as “vermin” and wrote that the neighborhood’s main problem was “Polish people infesting its rowhouses.”
The essay was blasted as “an out and out insult” by Frank Milewski of the Polish-American Congress.
In his apology, Langlieb described himself as half Polish and insisted “it was always my intention to defend the wonderful community of Greenpoint from the forces of economic and social change, and never my intention to offend.
“I ask for your forgiveness.”
Bill Hutchinson
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/468890p-394600c.html
USA/Urzędnik miasta Nowy Jork przeprosił za antypolską wypowiedź
7.11.Nowy Jork (PAP) – UrzÄ™dnik Departamentu ds. Parków i Rekreacji Miasta Nowy Jork David Langlieb przeprosiÅ‚ dotkniÄ™tÄ… jego obraźliwym tekstem spoÅ‚eczność Polaków. “Przepraszam za wszelki ból jaki mógÅ‚ wywoÅ‚ać mój artykuÅ‚” – napisaÅ‚ w oÅ›wiadczeniu przesÅ‚anym we wtorek PAP.
O przeprosinach urzÄ™dnika, który w niewybredny sposób wyraziÅ‚ siÄ™ o polskiej spoÅ‚ecznoÅ›ci na Greenpoincie, poinformowaÅ‚ również wtorkowy “Daily News”.
Kontrowersyjny artykuÅ‚ ukazaÅ‚ siÄ™ w jesiennym wydaniu pisma dla absolwentów uczelni Haverford College. Langlieb napisaÅ‚ m.in., że Greenpoint jest “brzydszy niż debile, którzy tam pracujÄ…”. MieszkaÅ„ców polskiej dzielnicy oceniÅ‚ mianem “robactwa”, które “powinno siÄ™ stÄ…d wyprowadzić”.
Z protestem do władz Haverford College wystąpili m.in. John Micgiel, profesor polskiego pochodzenia na prestiżowej Columbia University, Alex Storożynski, znany amerykański dziennikarz polskiego pochodzenia i laureat nagrody Pulitzera oraz Frank Milewski, lider Kongresu Polonii Amerykańskiej w Nowym Jorku.
Głos w obronie Polaków zabrało również dwóch radnych miasta.
“ChciaÅ‚bym przeprosić każdego, kogo obraziÅ‚em moim esejem. NapisaÅ‚em go jako prywatna osoba, a nie jako pracownik UrzÄ™du Miasta Nowy Jork” – napisaÅ‚ Langlieb, w oÅ›wiadczeniu przesÅ‚anym za poÅ›rednictwem rzecznika prasowego Departamentu ds. Parków.
Autor kontrowersyjnego tekstu podkreÅ›liÅ‚, że jego intencjÄ… byÅ‚o “napisanie satyry, która ilustrowaÅ‚aby negatywny wpÅ‚yw” osiedlania siÄ™ na Greenpoincie mÅ‚odych Amerykanów ze swoim stylem życia, a także gospodarcze i spoÅ‚eczne zmiany w polskiej dzielnicy.
“Uwielbiam mieszkaÅ„ców Greenpointu (w tym wielu imigrantów z Polski, WÅ‚och i innych krajów), restauracje, sklepy i energiÄ™ tej dzielnicy. Nie ma innego takiego miejsca w Nowym Jorku – poczynajÄ…c od koncertów w klubie Warszawa, a koÅ„czÄ…c na Å›wieżej wÄ™dlinie w (tutejszych) sklepach miÄ™snych” – napisaÅ‚. (PAP)