TheOther, I've already read about this particular case and I know what it's all about, you don't have to explain ;)
There were no human rights violated. Germany is not some war torn, crime ridden hellhole somewhere in the Third World. It is a modern democracy which guarantees human rights.
I'm not saying it's a war torn, crime ridden hellhole where human rights are violated on a daily basis :)))
OK, so I'll share some thoughts with you too :)
You know, I think that's the problem with such thinking: "I live in a Western/European/EU country and there's no way someone's human rights or simply rights could be violated! We are not some Third World country... or Russia." Yes? :) In my opinion such thinking is dangerous because it may make us blind to things happening around us. I've also had such blindfolds in the past even though I live in a country that is also often called a hellhole :) So I can imagine how a Westerner can be blinded and at peace, convinced that everything is OK, etc. ;)
Of course I know that there are always two sides of the story. Although, to be honest, even if the guy was accused of domestic violence I don't understand why wouldn't he be allowed to speak to his children in Polish? If his wife is German or of some other nationality he would be the only one to pass his Polish heritage to his children. I think it's everyone's basic human right. (Yes, I understand that a translator would have to be hired, but I still think it's not fair and should be resolved in a better way).
That's the law of the country - not only in Germany, but also in the US for example (how does it work in Poland, by the way?).
In Poland? I honestly doubt a foreign parent would be forbidden to speak his/hers language to a child. I've never heard of such a case.
I know cases where children were taken away from families and - even though it turned out that the denunciation of the neighbor was a lie - had not been reunited with their families after over a year. "Hitlerjugendamt" ... American style?
The fact that something wrong is going on in USA doesn't make it right when something's wrong is happening in Germany.
n conclusion: don't always believe what you hear or read. There are of course cases where people are treated extremely unfair (in Germany and elsewhere), but a lot of times it's just blown out of proportion to serve the interest of some group or individual.
TheOther, I've been using the internet for quite some time and believe you me when I say that I don't take anything at face value anymore ;)
I've also thought that this Jugendamt thing was blown out of proportion by right-wing politicians but I don't think in this way anymore. It looks like there is a genuine problem (or was, because maybe it was addressed already, I don't know).
Have you read the article at CBS News site? Apparently the problem was big enough for president Clinton to intervene.
Canada seems to be a "hellhole", too ... ;)
It's not about any country being a hellhole ;) I know Germany isn't a hellhole, I've been there and most people were very nice to me and helpful :)
TheOther, are you German or of German origin? If you were a Pole Westerners would claim you're being defensive right now ;))) (I couldn't help myself, oh yeah ;D)
All I'm saying is: don't be so condescending to Poles, because, as you can see, they're not the only ones complaining about the Jugendamt.
And a quote from that example of the German scientist and her daughter. Someone else apparently living in Germany wrote this:
Unfortunately, there is a lot of prejudice in Germany against foreign-born parents speaking their own native language with their children, because it is feared that those children will not learn to properly speak German and thus cause problems in schools. German schools also used to have a problem with bilingual children (I should know, cause I was one) and would prefer that those children did not exist. The situation regarding bilingual children is changing now and bilingualism is more accepted these days. But older teachers, social workers, etc... still see bilingualism as a problem.
Quote from: chronicle.com/forums/index.php?topic=63149.35;wap2
What do you think about it? Judging by the whole of her comment she seems reasonable and balanced.