Hi all
Lets see if I can respond to several people at once. For the record Brendan.
My comment was in no way meant to be sarcastic or even witty however
Maryanne, I think that you might find that Paul's posting had just a
smattering of sarcasm. I am aware that frustration can result in saying
things that are offensive but it doesn't stop them from being offensive. My
comment was aimed at the arrogance of the posting.
I don't believe I was "flaming" anyone either. If I were to flame someone by
calling them an idiot, moron, imbecile or cretin then surely my intent
cannot be judged on such trivialities as "words" - after all, they are
changing all the time and thus they don't really matter < yes..that one was
sarcasm.
I really hope you will all take the time to read the lyrics of the song
posted beneath. Its about language and the power of words and its by Michael
Frente:
Artist: Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
Album: Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
Title: Language Of Violence
The first day of school was always the hardest
The first day of school, the hallways the darkest
Like a gauntlet
the voices haunted
Walking in with his thin skin, lowered chin
He knew the names that they would taunt him with
Faggot, sissy, punk, queen, queer
Although he'd never had sex in his 15 years
And when they harassed him it was for a reason
And when they provoked him it became open season
for the fox and the hunter, the sparks and the thunder
that pushed the boy under, then pillage and plunder
It kind of makes you wonder
how one can hurt another
But dehumanizing the victim makes things simpler
It's like breathing with a respirator
It eases the conscience of even the most conscious
and calculating violator
Words can reduce a person to an object,
something more easy to hate
An inanimate entity, completely disposable,
no problem to obliterate
[CHORUS:]
But death is the silence
in this language of violence
Death is the silence
But death is the silence
in this cycle of violence
death is the silence
It's tough to be young, the young long to be tougher
When we pick on someone else it might make us feel rougher
Abused by their fathers but was at home though
so to prove to each other that they were not homos
The exclamation of the phobic fury
executioner, a judge and jury
The mob mentality, individuality was nowhere
Dignity forgotten at the bottom of a dumb old dare and a numb cold
stare
On the way home it was back to name calling
Ten against one they had his back up against the wall and
they reveled in their laughter as they surrounded him
But it wasn't a game when they up jumped and grounded him
They picked up their bats with their muscles straining
and they decided they were gonna beat this fella's brain in
with an awful, powerful, showerful, an hour full of violence
Inflict the strictest brutality and dominance
They didn't hear him screaming, they didn't hear him pleading
They ran like cowards and left the boy bleeding
in a pool of red 'til all tears were shed
and his eyes quietly slid into the back of his head
dead...
[CHORUS]
[2x]
You won't see the face 'til the eyelids drop
You won't hear the screaming until it stops
The boy's parents were gone and his grandmother had raised him
She was mad she had no form of retaliation
The pack didn't have to worry about being on a hitlist
But the thing they never thought about was that there was a witness
to this senseless crime, right place wrong time
Tried as an adult one of them was gonna do hard time
The first day of prison was always the hardest
The first day of prison, the hallways the darkest
Like a gauntlet
the voices haunted
Faggot, sissy, punk, queen, queer
Words he used before had a new meaning in here
As a group of men in front of him came near
for the first time in his life the young bully felt fear
He'd never been on this side of the name calling
Five against one they had his back up against the wall and
he had never questioned his own sexuality
but this group of men didn't hesitate in their reality
with an awful, powerful, showerful, an hour full of violence
Inflict the strictest brutality and dominance
They didn't hear him screaming
They didn't hear him pleading
They took what they wanted and then left him bleeding in the corner
The giant reduced to jack horner
But dehumanizing the victim makes things simpler
It's like breathing with a respirator
It eases the conscience of even the most conscious
and calculating violator
The power of words, don't take it for granted
when you hear a man ranting
Don't just read the lips, be more sublime than this
Put everything in context, is this a tale of rough justice
in a land where there's no justice at all ?
Who is really the victim ? Or are we all the cause, and victim of it
all ?
[CHORUS]
[2x]
You won't see the face 'til the eyelids drop
You won't hear the screaming until it stops
**PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS**
Best regards
Laurence Bathurst
School of Occupation and Leisure Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Sydney
PO Box 170
Lidcombe NSW 1825
Australia
Ph: 61 2 9351 9509
Fax: 61 2 9351 9509
Email: [log in to unmask]
See School Website www.ot.cchs.usyd.edu.au
Home Ph: 61 2 9818 2050
Mobile Ph: 0407 069 441
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brendan Magill" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 9:14 PM
Subject: Re: Dear Brendan
> Sarcasm, it has been said, is the lowest form of wit!
>
>
>
> Laurence Bathurst wrote:
>
> > Dear Brendan
> >
> > Kindly don't apologise for possibly offending anyone because that was
> > obviously your intention when writing your email.
> >
> > **PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS**
> >
> > Best regards
> >
> > Laurence Bathurst
> > School of Occupation and Leisure Sciences
> > Faculty of Health Sciences
> > University of Sydney
> >
> > PO Box 170
> > Lidcombe NSW 1825
> > Australia
> >
> > Ph: 61 2 9351 9509
> > Fax: 61 2 9351 9509
> > Email: [log in to unmask]
> >
> > See School Website www.ot.cchs.usyd.edu.au
> >
> > Home Ph: 61 2 9818 2050
> > Mobile Ph: 0407 069 441
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Brendan Magill" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 7:47 AM
> > Subject: Re: language
> >
> > > Hi Everyone,
> > >
> > > I joined this mailing list at the recommendation of one of the
> > > participants in this particular thread. When I did so, I was hoping
to
> > > find a group of people who were doing real work to promote, support,
> > > develop or whatever... research into fields that would improve the lot
> > > of people with disabilities, or whatever you like to call us. Little
> > > did I expect to be joining a philosophical, linguistic group of people
> > > who seem to have little to do with the practicalities of disability
and
> > > far too much irrelevant waffle. None of this stuff is about
disability,
> > > the needs of people with disabilities or what might be done to address
> > > those needs.
> > >
> > > It is significant, I think, that the UK university, one of whose
> > > staff members recommended me to the list, has not responded to my
> > > request for advice and guidance in putting together my own research
> > > project, despite some two months having elapsed since I made that
> > > request.
> > >
> > > This is not simply a case of me letting off steam. I have
> > > encountered similar levels of inactivity following approaches to other
> > > UK universities with similar requests. I have the basis of a research
> > > study that sets out to do something positive for people who are
visually
> > > impaired - to improve employment opportunities for them. The UK
> > > universities that I have approached have thus far totally failed to
> > > engage with my topic. Compare this with Montana State University,
from
> > > where I was sent a whole package of useful and interesting material in
> > > response to my request on this list for reference material.
> > >
> > > So, for heaven's sake, all of you, get off this silly debating
about
> > > social and individual models, about static and dynamic meaning, about
> > > the organic nature of language etc. and possibly tell us about some
real
> > > work that is of value to people who are disabled and maybe even to
> > > Society at large.
> > >
> > > My apologies if this offends anyone, but it is my view that the
> > > conduct of list members who have written on this Language topic can
only
> > > adversely affect the general public view of people with disabilities.
> > >
> > > Brendan.
> > >
> > > --
> > > BRENDAN MAGILL
> > > Business and Information Technology
> > > Consultancy, Training and Research
> > >
> > > Yew Tree Cottage
> > > Winnall Common
> > > Allensmore
> > > Herefordshire
> > > HR2 9BS
> > > England
> > >
> > > Phone: +44 (0)1981 570660
> > > Fax: +44 (0)870 127 7856
> > >
> > > Web: www.magill.co.uk
> > >
> > > ________________End of message______________________
> > >
> > > Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
> > > are now located at:
> > >
> > > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
> > >
> > > You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.
> >
> > ________________End of message______________________
> >
> > Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
> > are now located at:
> >
> > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
> >
> > You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.
>
> --
> BRENDAN MAGILL
> Business and Information Technology
> Consultancy, Training and Research
>
> Yew Tree Cottage
> Winnall Common
> Allensmore
> Herefordshire
> HR2 9BS
> England
>
> Phone: +44 (0)1981 570660
> Fax: +44 (0)870 127 7856
>
> Web: www.magill.co.uk
>
> ________________End of message______________________
>
> Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
> are now located at:
>
> www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
>
> You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.
________________End of message______________________
Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
are now located at:
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You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.
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