The “Ecominiots” and the “Ecomini” Noises – Reaction 1

My article 'The “Ecominiots” and the “Ecomini” Noises' published on Myjoyonline.com on 02/0709 remunerated me with zillions of frustration comments on my mail and Joy Web. All comments received were akin to humour derived from the gibberish of the ???-minded.

I deemed it important and expedient to react to certain misconstructions that I believe have the propensity of miseducating the public. The commentary segment of Joy Web is not a container for all sort of garbage. Your thought therefore must be a reasoned one. All the comments were unfortunately marked with illiteracy from a bunch of ignoramuses.

Without further ado, let us set the records straight: in paragraph 3 of my article reads: “These are two of the million good speeches of the Professor whose middle name is English.” This sentence attracted a lot of comments from people of varying degree of ignorance and low readings. These people refused to think before commenting on this sentence. In fact, I felt very sorry for them. Let us get ready for want I meant by “.....whose middle name is English.”

Let us go to the world most trusted reference, Oxford. Kindly refer to Oxford Advance Learner's Dictionary, New 7th edition (Special-Priced), Page 928, column 2: An idiom under the headword “middle name” reads: “be somebody's middle name (informal) used to say that somebody has a lot of a particular quality: 'Patience is my middle name!'”

Per Oxford's explanation, I believe these failed-to-think commentators will now understand what I meant by “.....whose middle name is English.” Consider this sentence: Arrogance is Naane Affoku's middle name. Please this sentence does not mean that Naane Affoku's full name is Naane Arrogance Affoku. Let us get some more examples on the “middle name.” The middle name of the previous government was inefficiency. Modesty seems to be the middle name of the president. Now, listen to these dummy comments on the “....whose middle name is English.” Dummy No. 1: (Issac Abednego Sackey): “You are shallow-minded.....if you care to know having thousand english names does not make one genius in the english language does making reference to Uncle having an english middle name is myopic. If you care to know his first name John is english and you know what that means; loo. Shame on you.”

Dummy No. 2: (Kojo Mahu): “So now if someone has an English name they are infallible right. So those of us with Ghanaian names are less human? You are so ignorant....Shut up!!!”

(Check comments on the article 'The “Ecominiots” and the “Ecomini” Noises') These were some of the comments of the ignoramuses. I can legitimately brand them as myopic with capital M. How could one think that “....whose middle name is English” was referring to “Mills” as an English name of the president. What has name got to do with what a person can do or cannot do?

Do these ignoramuses ever heard of idioms? An idiom is a fixed distinctive expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from the combined meanings of its actual words (Encarta Dictionaries 2008). I believe the definition will help them to think over sentences before exposing their intelligence to ridicule on the World Wide Web. However, I will forgive them because reading is one and understanding is another. I will as well pardon them under the umbrella of coincidence. My lovely grandfather of blessed memory once said “The fool thinks everyone thinks the way he thinks.”

However, I can only wonder and imagine the kind of comments the article would have received if President Mills' middle name was not an English name.

Again, in paragraph 1 of the article reads: “This is a greatest achievement for Ghana to be blessed with the man of the letters. A dream much waited.” Some other commentators stated that the above sentence was wrong. Oh! Ridiculous and pathetic! Please, I have no time to indulge in intellectual intercourse with people who cannot read and interpret sentence not to talk of finding faults with it. Please, if you think it is wrong, kindly highlights on what makes it wrong with rubrics of the language on this forum. If you fail to do it, I will analyse the sentence for you in my reaction 2.

Queen Elizabeth once said “The younger generation can be wiser than us.” A pundit challenged it as incorrect. He said “The younger generation can be wiser than we are” is correct. So, if indigens can lock to semantics and logomachies, what will you say about the aliens of English. I am not trying to propel myself as Pharaoh of English for no one is perfect in the kingdom of English.

Last but not least, I have a free psychological counselling for these frustrated commentators. Professor President Mills still have good seven and half years to “tongue slip”, Insha'Allah. So, I entreat you to restrain your frustrations and emotions because both Ankaful and Pantang are choked!

Salaam!

Abdulai Hanan R. Confidence
NTC, Tamale
TEIN (P.R.O.)
[[email protected]]