It is with utter disdain and disgust that I am forced to respond to the ramblings of Mr. [Robert] Scribner in the Jan. 27 issue of The Reflector in his article “Adopt peanut butter alternatives.” During my two-year stint at MSU, I have realized that The Reflector is devoid of international students’ perspectives and concerns with respect to the university, community, state, national and international issues.
The title of the article was well coined to capture the interest of the casual reader. However, upon reading its contents, one is left to question the sanity of the author. I do believe that his writing is reflective of his dim view of life and the world and the unruptured cocoon in which he is enslaved. He made several erroneous statements, some of which I will briefly highlight.
“I traveled the globe many a time over, including one trip out of America” may be written in jest but it is a callous, crude and disrespectful statement to the [667] international students at MSU [according to a figure from the MSU Office of Institutional Research]. This dim view of the world he lives in manifests itself nationally in the American concept of the World Series baseball.
He continues his insensitive, misinformed and judgmental statements by claiming to “indulge in the fruits of all cultures” and claimed in a highly derogatory manner to have tried “even African-American food,” as though that’s a worthy achievement, at the expense of African-Americans.
Since when [are] all cultures limited to Mexican, Italian and African? His telltale missive continues to demean the psyche of international students by claiming to lend a convenient ear to “silly accents” and “nonsense opinions.”
It is surprising that Mr. Scribner is a business administration graduate student and chooses not to appreciate the world beyond America. In his realm of study and work, he should have the innate or nurturing ability to enable and foster international relations. However, he cannot deal with these “silly accents.” Sir, it is these accents that contributed to the salad bowl and subsequent melting bowl of mighty America.
I wonder if Mr. Scribner sought the opinion of his pseudo-international friends with respect to their opinion of his American accent. Though his article is interesting with respect to peanut butter alternative advocacy, the overriding argument was undermined by his manifest self-denial and disrespect for internationals. I am certain that these are only the opinions of Mr. Scribner and not those of the average American citizen.
In closing, I am left to ponder on several questions that Mr. Scribner may have the answer for:
1. Is it a deficiency in the curriculum of this extraordinary nation that may lead one to think in this manner? (I know his view can be unique, and if so, I sympathize with him).
2. Is this a good reflection of an ambassador of this prestigious institution?
I recommend that Mr. Scribner take advantage of this opportunity to reform himself. There are more than 200 independent nations in the world, which America is a part of. “Glorious” and “sacred” are two words that come to mind in describing these nations. Oh yes, they still hold the treasures of serving as a carbon sink for this great nation. Be wise and respectful in your thoughts and future writings, Mr. Scribner.
Eduardo Mendez is a graduate student in animal and dairy science. He can be contacted at [email protected].