LETTER

LETTRE

Linguistic aggression?

 

    I have read the letter to the editor, “Linguistic aggression or just bad manners”, by P. Gauthier in the January 12 Bulletin. I am surprised to see the Bulletin publish such an item. This type of letter can only promote linguistic aggression. P. Gauthier was trying to help the lady in the car, and her reaction was unfriendly. What I don’t understand is that P. Gauthier obviously speaks English and repeats her/himself in French and then wrote a letter about it -- in English. This could have been avoided by P. Gauthier speaking English the second time, once she/he realized that the lady in the car didn’t understand French. The lady in the car absolutely should have responded differently and made some attempt to be friendly, e.g. “I’m sorry I don’t speak French”, etc. Gauthier's comment, “we are in a bilingual country”, is true but Aylmer has a lot of Anglophones, Francophones, and bilingual residents. We all, as Aylmer residents, have to understand that the person we speak to might not speak our language, but being friendly will go a long way.
D. Merkley
Aylmer