The Jan. 15 article "Antiforeigner discrimination is a right for Japanese people" by Gregory Clark, was sad and insulting on so many levels. I can only speak for myself, a female Japanese citizen, but I don't feel it is our "right" to discriminate against others on any basis. To so freely use the word "discriminate" with all of its negative connotations is shocking.
Furthermore, Clark's claim that his language skills prove he isn't anti-Russian or anti-Chinese is beside the point. Personal experience has shown to me over the years that language ability has absolutely nothing to do with whether one likes or dislikes a race or country.
A number of my acquaintances, from Japan and abroad, became bilingual only to secure jobs, or for the love of an individual — not to show how much they liked the native speakers of the language in general. Clark owes an apology and retraction. I can't imagine many world-class publications supporting his type of rhetoric.
A world without discrimination was a goal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other rights activists around the world — regardless of race, gender or age. Articles like Clark's only help to set back progress made on so many fronts.
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