Re: Amerind an offensive term (was: Early Amerind assimilation
HR57JazzandBlues.@worldnet.att.net
27 Aug 1996 06:36:00 GMT
matts2@ix.netcom.com (Matt Silberstein) wrote:
>In sci.archaeology HR57JazzandBlues.@worldnet.att.net wrote:
>
>>matts2@ix.netcom.com (Matt Silberstein) wrote:
>>>In sci.archaeology HR57JazzandBlues.@worldnet.att.net wrote:
snip
>Also, I like to talk about being "pink". It throws lots of people.
Bad, bad, bad.
>>Besides myself and the flat world; newspapers, magazines,
>>official documents etc. use the word "white". This indicates
>>that this is an accepted and non-offensive term, however, if
>>this word offends you I will be more than happy to refer to you
>>in any manor that is non-offensive. *You* choose.
>
>I do not find the term offensive. I just don't like to distinguish
>people by the color of their skin. I just don't find skin color
>important. I don't want to be referred to as a member of group just
>because of my skin color. By country of origin, culture, religion,
>political orientation, or profession. This I don't mind, they say
>something about who I am. But not skin color. All skin color means to
>me is that I do not enjoy summer.
Sounds good to me.
>>As for "moral guilt" it makes no difference if your ancestors
>>arrived on the Mayflower or yesterday. We in America have all
>>benefited from the pain and suffering of the Native people.
>>Anyone who enjoys the fruit, past or present should have and
>>should take some moral responsibility.
>
>The American government owes significant moral, legal, and economic
>debt to the Native peoples. As a reasonable successful taxpayer I am
>fully prepared to pay that debt. I, as an individual, do not owe a
>moral debt to them. I do owe a moral debt to the righteous people who
>help people survive the holocaust. By extension I owe a debt to people
>who have help the Native peoples. Does than make sense?
Not a lick. It does sound self centered and absorbed, narrow
minded, hippocritical, divisive, monofocused (I just made that word
up) and down right ugly. If I understand you correctly I and
everyone else should go to our respective communities and support
only our individual struggles. The money we pay in taxes absolves
us of any additional actions of support or concern for others. Oh!
and we do not refer to each other by skin color because that may
offend and spot our character. Dum, dada, dum, da, dum, da, dum
can't buy that!
It may be that
>we are using different concepts of moral responsibility. Not
>contradictory, just different ideas.
Very different concepts. It amazes me how we can justify a dodge
and a side step of the truth. Your concept is yours to have but it
only adds to the hipporitical wasteland. We make so many recipes
for chicken salad, but is still tast like - well, you know. :-(
>>The tree was planted over 500 years ago and the fruits are here
>>now for us to pluck but the Native American has to *shake* the
>>tree for theirs. Shame!
snip
>>I was taught that the evil
>>>done to my ancestors gave me a special responsibility to not do evil
>>>myself.
>
>>A lesson we can all learn from and thereby refer to the
>>indigenous people in a manor they deem appropriate!
>>To them not to is evil!
>
>Only a small part of the responsibility, but I agree.
Script
Facing the wall, head up, arms stretched upward:
Paloma: "Am I talking to the wall"!
>>>>and white America has not had any of her
>>>>emmigrant ethnicities (tribes) become extinct.
>>>
>>>For this to be true you need to have a special, narrow definition of
>>>"white" and culture.
OH! haven't you heard, there is a definition of the two its called
me and mine.
>For what it is worth, the term Hebrew to refer to a person is probably
>offensive.
Thanx. Will note.
>
>
>Verbing weirds language - W. W.
-Paloma
"Don't worry about the changes in the key
just play within the range of the idea"
Charlie Parker
|