The discussion of religious oppression/persecution in the evolution v. creationism thread reminded me of a lament that my mom has made from time to time. It's been echoed by others of her generation.
It centers on name calling.
When she was growing up (in a neighborhood with mostly Italian and Irish families), everyone had derogatory names for everyone else. It was a game, but a rough game. Sometimes fights broke out, but mostly you just needled each other. Poking fun at obvious and superficial traits of other ethic groups.
And everyone gave as good as they got. There were standard come backs, but you scored real points for creativity in cutting down the other person's race, creed, parentage, mother tongue, mother country, etc.
And nobody sued anyone else over it. Or protested about their freedoms being impinged upon. Or called the cops or lawyers or judges or the government to solve the petty interracial strife.
In a way, it became a matter of respect, it seems. The worst thing would be to NOT be included in the cut downs. Being beneath contempt, as it were.
We're weak and stupid by comparison.
No one should ever have to hear a desparaging thing about themselves, even if it's an obvious jest. Why? Because it's not nice. Surely. But so what, my mom would say. Did it kill you? Couldn't you just give as good as you got?
Its maybe a sign of our society growing up that such behavior is recognized as potentially harmful and that we should repress the interracial hatred.
But it's also, apparently, a sign that we're a bunch of weak cry-babies expecting some authority to solve our problems for us.
For me, a product of the more polite society of modern times, I simply can't imagine using the various pejoratives that my mother could recite or that my older relatives might've used without even thinking of them as potentially hurtful. I'm glad I grew up away from that.
But, in a way, I think we have lost something. The something that made us mutually respect each other out of experience of the fact that the other person was as tough and quick-witted and competive as you were.
Oh well...
Just musing.
We're a bunch of frequin' wimps.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I am so hurt that you called me a wimp. You are so insensitive! Expect a summons on Monday.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
"The something that made us mutually respect each other out of experience of the fact that the other person was as tough and quick-witted and competive as you were."
I'm rather proud of the fact that I can demonstrate my toughness, quick wits, and competitive nature without calling you a slimeball, Bob.
The fact that we're theoretically demanding more sophistication from our pissing contests is not a bad thing.
Posted by Verily the Younger (Member # 6705) on :
I'm sorry, I just don't see what's so glorious about throwing racial slurs at each other. I agree our society has developed a lot of problems over the last generation, but I rather like the fact that racism is on the decline.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Besides, with the advent of, oh, say, internet forums, it's a lot harder to tell what race the person you're interacting with is. How am I supposed to know what nasty names to call those of you I haven't met in person who's names don't make it obvious and/or who haven't been considerate enough to post a picture so I can make a probably incorrect snap judgment? Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I know what you are saying, though, Bob, it was more of a friendly, racial slur-laden banter. The cards were on the table. I think there is just as much racism as there ever was, but it has gone under a pudding skin of politeness.
I remember my dad telling me a story of his dad and a friend. My grandfather had dark skin, especially after working outside all summer. His friend had a hump back.
One day in the hospital, my dad and grandfather were sitting in the lobby. The friend walked by.
"Hey Hump,"said my grandfather.
"Hey Nig," said the friend.
My dad was horrified, and my grandfather didn't get it at all.
When I talk to my city grandmother, she is very open about her feelings about one ethnic group or another. My country grandmother, a devout Christian, who loved people of all races because she lived in a mountain town which was as white as the snow, is now refusing to take her medicine from her Haitian caretaker. But she would never use a racial slur.
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