Maybe I believe in mythologies, they seem important to me as anyones
writing.
Its amazing the comments responses I have received with this, I may have
touched some peoples nerves I suppose. Ian its obviously not rediculous as
it may seem to you. Not everyone is as well read as you espouse yourself.
Thats the issue as well. People who are academics espouse all the
foundations from reading books. I come from the education of the land and
the people and life experience. In Facoults suggestion of what the "Gaze"
is, I think you will find my meaning.
I have raised these issues as I believe there is dualism in society and that
people arent being true to themselves. I had a racist father, he was still
my father I still learnt from him, I still loved him, I couldnt change him.
But the thing I liked about him was that he had genuineness and the broad
community loved him for his ability to be genuine and truthfull. I never
knew that until I saw the hundreds of people I never knew turn up for his
funeral and the comments they made. This made me see that there is more to
life than what words can express.
As a child of 12 yrs I was beat up by group of aboriginal men. Until I left
the community went away to school and come back I had an abhorent disgust
for aboriginal people. In my mind they were all violent people and the white
culture in which I lived did nothing to provide me with any different way to
think. In fact I feared being anywhere near an aboriginal person. I came
home to school at 15 yrs and met up with an aboriginal guy who changed my
view of the way I thought about aboriginal people. He didnt do this by
words but by his actions with me and the way he played footy or encouraged
me. I developed some respect for him and like wise the people (race of
people) he represented gained new meaning for me. (oxymoron?) Fair enough I
was a bit young then to understand what it all meant. But for me it meant a
lot later in life. What Im trying to say it was not words that changed my
ways of being but actions and I think that is also true in respect of the
conversation here.
Anyway good converstion I think it deserves more.
Linguisticly yours,
Lance.
Regards, Lance.
----- Original Message -----
From: Ian Henderson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Recoznet2 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, August 02, 1999 12:14 PM
Subject: [recoznet2] Redskins? Blackskins? Niggers?
> Lance,
>
> I am sure the European philosophers such as Derrida, Foucault, Barthes and
> Lyotard would surprised to say the least to hear that '..all they are is
> words.' This is a very ridiculous statement to make. Every word carries,
in
> each environmental context, a greater or lesser amount of emotional
baggage.
> When in the Northern Territory I always referred to Aboriginal People at
> Blackfellas and they referred to me as a whitefella. In the Territory at
> that time these terms were almost looked upon as terms of endearment. When
I
> first visited the outstaion of Punmu in Western Australia for a meeting I
> made a reference to Blackfellas. Immediately I knew I had done the wrong
> thing and have not used that term since. After the meeting I spoke to
Ditch
> (an elder) who told me how the predominant term for Aboriginal People in
the
> West had been Blackfella and thus had become associated with the very
severe
> putting down of Aboriginal Peoples in the West. The equivilant term in the
> NT was 'nigger'.
>
> Lance might I suggest that if all the people you knew and met began to
call
> you a bastard that eventually you would begin to believe of yourself all
the
> stereotypes of being born illegitimate? Have you ever consdered the nature
> of 'mythology? If not may I suggest you read the last pages of
'Mythologies'
> by Roland Barthes and then of course there is that memorable quote from
> Lyotard in hid 'Le Differend: 'In the naming vengeance is on the prowl
> always.' (p56).
>
> So Lance might I suggest that you give such statements as '...all they are
> is words' a little more consideration before sounding off.
>
> PS. I once saw a pakeha sent to hospital to repair the damage after he
> 'innocently' called a group of Maori Darkies. So, maybe there is a
practical
> aspect of our use of language as well.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ian J. Henderson Murdoch University
> 24 Harfleur Place Humanities
> Hamilton Hill Murdoch, 6150.
> Western Australia, 6163
> Tel and Fax: (08) 94183972
> E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
>
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