Trudy the trouble is no one accept the politically motivated corect use it.
Walk out on the street and listen to any conversation and the denigration
and insulting manner that people use.
Oh sure people put their other hat on in an exclusive environment and try to
use the political terminology when in the presence of another but listen to
what they say when not in the presence of others and I ask the question is
this more about values and beliefs than actual activism.
I agree with you in most of your statements, but the point I am trying to
make its all about lack of concern this politically correct terminology.
In this instance at some time in the past a man was called "Nigger" Brown in
a time when it was an accepted form of expression as was many other words
and types of language.
The trouble is as we become globalised through economy and society everyone
is losing their ability to freely express themselves and whatever we say and
do cannot not be expected to please everyone the world would be a very quiet
place if this was to be because some dominant philosophy would say "Ok world
you cant say this word any more or that word."
If we could do this it would be great, but we cant and its not a realistic
expectation to expect people to change so much that they must not say one
word or the other.
I get castigated just for saying bloke and sheila which for 200 years of
development of the australian colloquialism has been an acceptable form or
words to use amongst friends. However its ok if I say Guys which is an
american colloquialism.
Im saying Trudy we should be trying to change the world as it exists here
and now not what has happened in the past, the past is impossible to change.
We can reconstruct it with all these new ideas about how we see the world,
but basically it is the same world with the same problems just more of em'
(the problems I mean).
A product is called fat free I find that repulsive as Im a fat person can
you change that for me?
Ned Kelly was a Bushranger and a bad bugger, I dont like that fact but Im
still with the surname Kelly. People still call me Ned occasionally.
Does an insult hurt as much as being denied medical asistance when it is
freely available to others around Australia.
Language does hurt and insults hurt as well, however how much time and
resource do we want to waste on a word when the quite significant real
issues beyond words that need action.
Thats all Im saying - Actions always speak Louder than Words.
Regards, Lance.
----- Original Message -----
From: Trudy and Rod Bray <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 1999 6:52 PM
Subject: Re: [recoznet2] Redskins? Blacksins? Niggers?
> Lance,
>
> What some people call 'political correctness' others call 'good manners'
and a "respect for others'
> feelings".
> For some people to feel that they have the right to denigrate and insult
and hurt people through the
> language they use because they don't want to temper their expressions and
then fall back on 'freedom of
> speech' is one of the most ill-mannered and callous things one can do.
> Language and how one uses it can reach out and heal or it can hurt and
destroy. Language is important and is
> one of the ways people express to the world how they see things.
> If the language one uses hurts and insults others then that person is
showing the world their lack of
> concern for others and often, their racism. This has nothing to do with
political correctness but plain
> humanity or the lack of it.
>
> Trudy
>
> Lance Kelly wrote:
>
> > Theres a simple answer to your dilemma acknowledge your difference and
> > accept that you as everyone else in society have inbuilt racism your
> > inability to accept others choice of words (and thas all they are is
words)
> > suggests you have a bigger problem and that is as a result of this so
called
> > "politically correct" society which lacks the decency of people to
express
> > themselves in anyway they wish.
> > If they have made a perosnal statement to you about your colour or creed
> > your anger and frustration is acceptable. But if you chastising society
> > becuase its celebrates the difference of people and the ability of
> > marketeers and economic minded people to express and advertise
themselves to
> > sell product then I find your arguments difficult to accept.
> > We are all differentiated from people individually, collectively as a
race
> > and as next door neighbours.
> > Politically correctedness is not the way society is heading and rather
than
> > segregating people by controlling speech, we should be grasping the
words
> > and celibrating the fact that by the name redskin, blackskin, whiteskin,
> > yellowskin or any other skin that people are at least being acknowledged
for
> > who we are.
> > Be proud and happy of who you are first, show by actions and affirmation
> > that you are proud to be who you are then you are in front of the
racists
> > who slander people and denigrate them. You are better than that. I say
> > DOWN with political correctedness.
> > Regards, Lance.
> >
> > "For equal society based on active particpation and not words."
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Sioux <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > Sent: Sunday, August 01, 1999 5:45 PM
> > Subject: [recoznet2] Redskins? Blacksins? Niggers?
> >
> > > Hau kola-pi,
> > >
> > > Just a thought. I have recently been abused in a store when asking
fro
> > the
> > > removal of an item which I find grossly offensive from the counter
top.
> > >
> > > In fact< I have had various reactions when I have come across this
before
> > > and spoken to the store owner or counter person.
> > >
> > > The offensive item are candies called 'Redskins'. A kind of red chewy
> > > thing! As a Lakhota person I find these items extremely offensive,
and
> > > whenever I come across them I always like to approach the store owner
or
> > > sales person, and explain just how I feel.
> > >
> > > Now, I guess many of you are going to think I am being silly over
this,
> > but
> > > I find this a very bad example to set to children whom I presume would
be
> > > tha main consumers of this candy. What kind of a message is it
sending to
> > > these childrem? There is even a picture I think of an 'indian' on the
> > > wrapper!
> > >
> > > Each time I approach about this problem, I speak calmly and quietly,
and
> > > attempt to explain why I am offended and ask if they would please
remove
> > > the item form display and preferably from stock.
> > >
> > > I say to people, ok, how about if this thing was some kind of licorice
> > > candy? Would they have it on their counter if it was called
Blackskins or
> > > Niggers? Of course, they usually protest that of course they wouldn't
> > > thing of doing such a thing...............and of course they shouldn't
> > either!
> > >
> > > My next reply then, is what is the difference between calling this red
> > > chewy candy a 'Redskin' and a piece of licorice a Blackskin or a
nigger?
> > >
> > > I must hasten to add here, that personally, I would never use such
words,
> > > they are not even in my vocabulary and are used here purely for the
> > > comparison! My people and all my brothers and sisters of the native
> > > american nations have strong feelings for our aboriginal brothers and
> > > sisters here.
> > >
> > > But Please can someone see what I am saying?????>
> > >
> > > I am very sad today................
> > >
> > > Sioux
> > > -------------------------------------------------------
> > > RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is
archived
> > at http://www.mail-archive.com/
> > > To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in
the
> > body
> > > of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click
here
> > > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce
> > > This posting is provided to the individual members of this group
without
> > permission from the
> > > copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and
> > research under the "fair
> > > use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be
> > distributed further without
> > > permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."
> > >
> > > RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/
> > >
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------
> > RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived
at http://www.mail-archive.com/
> > To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in
the body
> > of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here
> > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce
> > This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without
permission from the
> > copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and
research under the "fair
> > use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be
distributed further without
> > permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."
> >
> > RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/
>
> --
> ******************************************************
> "... and so we're in a situation where we're far from Parliament or
> Congress being there to protect people from the external powers,
> i.e., to control the economy in the interest of the people. Parliament
> is now there to control the people in the interests of the economy."
>
> --Tony Benn, MP, as quoted in the July 24, 1999, New York Times
> ******************************************************
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
> RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived
at http://www.mail-archive.com/
> To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the
body
> of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here
> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce
> This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without
permission from the
> copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and
research under the "fair
> use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be
distributed further without
> permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."
>
> RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/
>
-------------------------------------------------------
RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at
http://www.mail-archive.com/
To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body
of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce
This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission
from the
copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under
the "fair
use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further
without
permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."
RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/
