Dear Editor:
Re: ER trip leads to anger, Letters to the Editor, The Record, Nov. 28.
In response to the letter written by L. Luyten, I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they were having a very bad day and needed to vent. I hope they are feeling much better now.
That said I am sorry they felt their visit to Royal Columbian Hospital emergency was not pleasant but I am still wondering how seeking relief from pain led to an attack on our non-European citizens.
Here are some points that Mr./Ms. Luyten may have forgotten to think about:
?These elderly patients talking in their native tongues may very well have been born here or lived here for decades. My grandmother was born on the prairies and never learned to read, write or speak English. Still, she and my grandfather worked unbelievably hard, paid taxes and helped make this country something to be proud of.
?Perhaps these elderly people, like Mr./ Ms. Luytens, did not want the specifics of their ills broadcast through the waiting room and decided to spare the rest of the patients their complaints. Or maybe they just didn't want nosy parkers eavesdropping on their conversation. If these elderly people have just come over from another country maybe they are working harder than can be imagined by caring for their grandchildren while their children work.
? Other cultures and countries that are non-European have a rich history of wonderful skills and arts. Really they do.
Through my life, I have tended to dismiss remarks made after any phrase such as "I am not a racist, BUT ." However, I did throw caution to the wind and allowed myself to read what the writer had to say.
I am not angered by L. Luyten's letter.
If anything, I feel pity and embarrassment. What could have been an interesting firsthand account of a trip to an emergency room turned into an inappropriate diatribe against our fellow citizens.
I have also been in wretched pain, and at the time I doubt that I could have described the people around me and all my surroundings as well as they had.
I might have been surrounded by Asians, Caucasians, the Queen of France, or little green men, and I wouldn't have cared.
In conclusion I thank the writer for reminding me to never make snap judgments, jump to conclusions, or treat the person sitting next to me with anything less than common courtesy and respect.
Diane Adams, New Westminster
