Monday, October 29, 2012

ETHICS AESTHETICS POST

THIS morning as I was opening me eyes in the dark, the rotund,  figure, twice as mine, his friendly smile, powerful, yet soft voice of Lester Figueroa, a landlord/tennant court attorney appeared in a dream, telling your humble servant that somejuan was inquiring about moi.  When I was going to ask if the inquirer was man or moman, I woke up.

Why Lester and no juan else?  He was an anomaly in  the New York State Civil Court, for one reason. Not many attorneys had studied in the  Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. His spoken English was unusual, since native speakers of any language tend tend to inflect their usage with a melody and particular pronunciation when using their second, not Lester.

Bai the guay, let the record show--since we are into attorneys and court anecdotes--besides language issues, have you ever wondered about those native  speakers of English in the Caribbean such as Jamaicans and Barbadians, requiring subtittles? Is it their origin in the dark continent with their native languages, is it the British influence? What the hell is it ? Have you any idea?  If you have not,  please do.

Phonetics in one language are responsible for that way of speech, called funny by some native bastards, who can only speak English, referring to us the speakers of the second, even if they can not spell oxymoron or hieroglyphics to name two. That is something too many people never bother to ponder.  Speech/pronunciation/accent,  has nothing to do with understanding, writing, spelling, sentence structure, semantics and anything else you may add. Please remember, if you may, one thing is missing, intention. Think of it, most spelling bee contests in USA are won by foreigners or children of.

Every country, their citizens have a national sychology.  That is what some speakers of English as a second language living legally or not, in many countries, never get.  Language is never in a vacuum, nor are its speakers. That is a geat lesson, experience learned after five years as a simultaenous medical  and court interpreter/sight translator, living a third of me life among white/black devils.

I witnessed the segregation of all interpreters and condescending treatment at 111 Center St.  I would say by fifty percent to be kind, off personnel employees, judges, attorneys, court attorneys, court officers and judges. It appeared to me that these people thought of themselves as better, intellectually superior;  high school or college graduates,  no matter if darkies or blondies, speaking only ONE language.

 

Attorneys all over the world have a nasty reputation.  However, my experience is mixed. There were honest attorneys from both sides, not everyjuan was a trickster, it did not matter if they were representing the landlord or tenant side.  Most were competent and efficient, except for those working in Legal Aid. The worst attorney was a Puerto Rican, a fat, slopy, ill dressed by the name Ramon Gutierrez, with the grace and talent of some illiterate street peddlar.

Interpreters were mostly adequate, only a few with college education. Too many, were into the advocate bag. The worst were Nicki and Pedro Ramos These fools forgot permanently the ethics of the interpreting.  One is not there to advocate for tenants, but to repeat parrot like what they had to say without editorial comments or interfering with the procedure.

I was well known for my habits, interested in cut the chase, quick and efficient use of time, always.  For that reason, I got along pretty well with many attorneys and staff. Others thought I was a pain in the ass for the same reason, not into pleasing anyone at any time.  After all interpreting is not a public relations position.

Presenting and sharing horticultural, environmental, gardening and maintenance views and situations is not different. Ethics and asthetics are always involved.  In interpreting, if you ask, the beauty, was to overcome the hostility, to disconnect oneself  from each side interests. To perform effectively to reach a stipulation.  Tenants were always crying about repairs, when too many times, was only lacking money, and unwillingness to pay for whatever reason.  

Looking at the whole, it seems that most people are into presenting their views out of context, for their own interest and gain no matter if in a court of law, a blog or you name it.  It is always what convention, complacency, convenience to their pockets should rule.

If you consider for one moment that gold, diamonds, copper, silver, tin, oil, wood, coal, food, water, air,  anything that is necessary for living, requires the destruction of the globe in wholes or parts, to put in focus once in a while ethics and aesthetics is a good exercise when writing or ruminating superficially or in depth about this or any other issues.


that is that. 


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