Wednesday, October 17, 2001

I am a Nigerian immigrant resident in Fayette County and take serious exception to the racist, rude and insensitive comments by Mr. Frank Hyde regarding immigrants in your Oct. 3 edition [Letters, "Coming to America? Here's a tip: Conform"].

First of all let me state that I am a Christian and some nationals of my home country were lost in the dastardly terrorist acts of Sept. 11.

I do not think Mr. Hyde needs attempt to hide his bigotry under the cloak of the terrorists' attacks. His effort is as effective as the ostriches' attempt at playing hide and seek.

Mr. Hyde obviously does not realize that all immigrants have different reasons for emigrating, just like his forefathers before me, I dare say! Or he would not think that milk and honey are the only reasons for emigration, even if that's why his forebears came to America.

What gives Mr. Hyde the right to refer to a foreign language as "gibberish" (defined by The American Heritage Dictionary as "Unintelligible or nonsensical talk or writing")? I doubt if Mr. Hyde has ever traveled outside the United States or I wonder how he will feel if his English was described as "gibberish" in a foreign country.

It would appear that Mr. Hyde thinks that every person speaking a foreign language in "his" supermarkets is an immigrant? He does not realize that they are probably visitors also from foreign countries on vacation or business. These visitors who contribute in no small measure to the success of the American economy (or immigrants for that matter) do NOT have to speak English just to assuage the twisted ideals of the likes of Mr. Hyde.

I doubt if Mr. Hyde speaks for the American public like he claims, as this will be against all the ideals America and Americans stand for.

I also seriously doubt if Mr. Hyde actually welcomes immigrants who do not answer the last names "Smith" or "Jones" or that he was joking, for that matter. By the way, did Mr. Hyde see any of the terrorists wear "headdresses" or "flowing wraps"? Or were they dressed as he says he would like, predominantly in blue jeans?

Mr. Hyde ought to hide his head in shame and rise above xenophobia in the search for the answers to his many problems.

While I recognize the right of every citizen to air his or her views, I think The Citizen newspaper ought to be discretionarily responsible enough and not publish such potentially damaging views in these difficult times.

Igho Vilhelm Pemu

Peachtree City

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