pejoratives

[Guest guest]

Sometimes it is easier to see something by analogy. If we were practicing

a variety of traditional african medicines, say ethiopian, Zimbabwean and

somalian, would it be prudent to call our field Traditional Negro Medicine?

Just because we are comfortable with the term. Don't get me wrong.

I am a free speech advocate. I am against hate speech laws.

This isn't about regulation, it is about what is a wise course of action

for widespread popular acceptance. Some organizations already characterize

our profession as careless with regard to several "liberal" issues, such

as endangered species, regulation of toxic and dangerous materials, etc.

Our field is overrepresented by white people already, for a variety of

reasons. And all the power in the field is held by white people.

Are we also to be labeled as insensitive to ethnic minorities. I

do not think this issue can be dismissed so lightly.

-- ,

 

 

FAX:

 

[Guest guest]

 

 

> I do not think

> this issue can be dismissed so lightly.

 

Sigh.

 

The terms we use to describe each other change like the seasons. I have

a problem with the new American religion of political correctness, its

all about appearances, or terms. How superficial can we get?

 

Two people die secondary to internal bleeding caused by a knife wound to

the abdomen. One passes away stabbed and robbed in a back alley, the

other dies on the operating table. What's the difference? They both

died of the same thing, yet the intent of the person yielding the knife

was quite different.

 

When I yield a term such as OM, I'm thinking of a magical, flexible,

efficacious gift from another culture that has given me a career path as

well as a spiritual one.

 

OM to me is AUM, the sound of God that echoes through the universe.

 

Is that offensive to anybody?

 

Sorry.

 

--

Al Stone L.Ac.

<AlStone

http://www.BeyondWellBeing.com

 

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

[Guest guest]

, Al Stone <alstone@b...> wrote:

 

>

> The terms we use to describe each other change like the seasons.

 

This is so untrue. there are certainly fluxes backand forth with some

terms, but that does not mean it always a two way street. However,

many pejorative terms have permanently left the speech of polite

people. I don't need to name the terms previously applied to jews,

blacks, italians, irish, etc. Just because one is unaware of the

longstanding offense taken to a term doesn't justify its continued use,

for whatever rationalization one has come up with.

 

I have

> a problem with the new American religion of political correctness, its

> all about appearances, or terms.

 

It is about oppression of a minority group through the use of language,

not about appearances. I oppose laws in this area, but I merely think

we alienate a large segment of our potential supporters by our

callousness in this and other areas of concern. The same people who

get riled by the term oriental are often open to alternative healthcare

in principle. And those people will only find it more offensive to

dismiss their concerns because one has conjured up some mystical,

romantic interpretation of a term that was generally applied with

derision throughout european and american history.

 

[Guest guest]

No offense, Al.

 

There are personal definitions, legal ones, academic ones, and

historically accurate ones. At each level of human existence, there are

appropriate, personal, and public meanings of terms.

 

 

On Saturday, December 22, 2001, at 11:02 AM, Al Stone wrote:

 

>

> .

>

> When I yield a term such as OM, I'm thinking of a magical, flexible,

> efficacious gift from another culture that has given me a career path as

> well as a spiritual one.

>

> OM to me is AUM, the sound of God that echoes through the universe.

>

> Is that offensive to anybody?

>

> Sorry.

>

> --

> Al Stone L.Ac.