Dear Sir,
I read last week’s column, “Fruitless debates,” by Dale Palfrey and found it quite interesting. I would, however like to add a bit to the information on where the term “gringo” originates.
The two most prevalent “old wives tales” do not even begin to make sense. The first, claiming “Green go home” is the most silly of the two. Invading American soldiers, in 1846, never wore green uniforms. The uniform of the U.S. invader was a darker blue. The other “tale” of Americans singing “Green grow the rushes” makes no sense as it is a traditional British song, very popular with the Irish. Hard to imagine Americans (who were angry at the numbers of Irish fighting on the side of Mexico) singing a British folk song such a short while after both the revolution and the War of 1812. Most armies, then and now, have their own traditional patriotic songs to sing.
So where did the term gringo originate. Well, we have to go back to 1787 and a Castilian dictionary written by Father Estaban de Terreros y Pando, which basically says a gringo is a person who does not speak Castilian.
It is very easy to understand how the term morphed slightly over the centuries and from one country to another. The Spanish bring the term to the Americas and it is used to describe, Americans, French, British and anyone else who does not speak Spanish.
As they say on CNN “facts matter.”
Liam Lowe, San Antonio Tlayacapan
Dear Sir,
Last week, Don Savon was upset with Ed Tasca’s characterization of Donald Trump’s intelligence and wanted to know where he had received the information that he had been declared the “dumbest president.”
Sadly, this is a conclusion reached by millions of people all over the world based on the actual words of the very stable genius.
What kind of genius informs the nation that “the moon is part of Mars,” that you need “voter ID” to buy a box of cereal, or we are now building brand new Sherman tanks? What kind of genius tells us that the noise from windmills causes cancer?
Does a man who states that, “hundreds of million years ago people were doing business. They were trading in rocks and stones and other things” have the second highest IQ of any of our former presidents, when most reasonably educated people know that homo sapiens evolved 300,000 years ago?
What kind of very stable genius can’t multiply 17 x 6? (See YouTube: Watch The Trumps Not Be Able To Multiply 17 By 6.)
Kim M. Metzger
Dear Sir,
I read with a smile on my face the intelligent response of Ed Tasca to one of your reader’s criticism of his column of the week before.
A simple quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln comes to mind: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.” Since Trump claimed this week to have probably done more for the blacks of America than Lincoln, it seems only fitting that his words be used here to counteract the foolishness of your reader’s assertion that this president is one of the smartest ever!
Tom Thompson
Dear Sir,
I have only one thing in common with Don Savon. I never read Ed Tasca when I arrived here three years ago. I was only interested in the news, until I finally read one of his columns. Now I usually go right to his column.
Mr. Tasca’s response to Savon should be in the New York Times or the Washington Post.
Does Mr. Savon really think Donald Trump is the second smartest president in history? Who then is the first: George W. Bush?
The Vatican should honor Mr.Tasca with Sainthood and the Queen of England should award him a knighthood. Every bit of his response was 100-percent accurate and verifiable. I thank him greatly for exposing Savon (and Trump) and far too many people here in the Chapala area.
Howard Meikle
Dear Sir,
Our (U.S.) president, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, lowered the unemployment figures for all categories, including Hispanics, Blacks and women. He has made Americans proud of our country again. He is now going to hold a rally and has had over 100,000 requests for tickets. I guess these are all people inferior to Mr. Tasca and his way of thinking.
There are many things that Donald Trump has done that American citizens are very grateful for. In Mr. Tasca’s response to my letter, he did not mention anything good that the president has done. It shows me he has a closed mind.
All I ask is that you give credit where credit is due.
Don Savon
Dear Sir,
Our Lakeside Charities Grant Group A.C. has a project going where we invited groups of CV19 mask makers to submit their receipts for materials, to get reimbursed for up to 5,000 pesos. Our overall goal is to reimburse non-profits making masks so they do not deplete their funds needed for ongoing projects (e.g. food pantries, water and education programs, etcetera). Just let us know if you are interested in more details.
Margy & Ted Kassier, Lakeside Charities Grant Program A.C.,
376-766-4337