Another Neighborhood Platitude

A new sign has cropped up in our neighborhood.  Written in 3 languages (Spanish, English, Arabic) it states: “No matter where you’re from, we’re glad you’re in our neighborhood.” Aside from the questionable grammar (better would be “No matter from where you are, …”), I have several questions.

First, why only three languages, and why only these three?  Why not Hebrew?  Why not Polish or Portuguese?  Why not French or German?  Why not Swahili?  Why not Russian?  Is it that Spanish and Arabic are politically correct, in vogue, prove something about you?  Or do you only welcome folks who speak one of those three languages? 

My next question is:  who are “we”? Because while I may have no objection to someone because they speak one of those languages, I might not welcome one who is not a good neighbor because they have late night parties regularly or leave their trash on their lawn or perhaps because they place idiotic signs in their yard.  So, if “we” is just the residents of your house, then fine, but please do not presume to speak for the entire neighborhood.

I also wonder what your motives are for even planting this sign in your yard.  I note that it is accompanied by one of the signs that was the subject of an earlier post. (http://ps.pinkspolitics.com/2017/02/a-note-about-memes-platitudes-and.html ) To whom are you speaking -  who is your audience for this clutter?  Is this your attempt to prove to the world, or at least to your neighbors, that you are one of the good guys? Perhaps an attempt to assert that you are superior to those who do not post such sayings on their homes?  Are you not secure enough in yourself to just be a good person?   Do you need, instead, to paste some label, some meme, on your house that lets the passerby know whom you supposedly are?  If it is respect that you seek, do you not understand that comes from within, from your character, and not from some label you place on your outside to try to prove to the world who you are?

Perhaps, rather than spending time planting signs you should take the time to consider some of the questions raised here and to consider who you really are.  Please do not extend a vapid bumper sticker mentality to your home for me to see every time I pass by.  Instead, think about what you are really saying, think deeply to understand the many facets of the complicated issues that you are turning into insipid memes.