The Meaning of Words
On two of my favourite blogs there are postings that focus on the meaning and use of words. Both of them speak to the lunacy of political correctness. First of all, at Dust My Broom, Darcey has posted a link to an article he quotes at length about the former Canadian Olympic official, Dick Pound's use of the French phrase "pays du sauvage". This is highly unacceptable to the captains of the Indian Industry, who, of course, have been all over Mr. Pound accusing him of racism. Yawn. As Pound correctly asserts, the French word "sauvage" as it was used four hundred years ago has a very different meaning than the English word "savage" has today, but the Indian Industry does not want you to know that.
The second one is at Dime a Dozen Blog, where the use of the phrase "never again" by Stephane Dion in a letter to his fellow Liberals comes under attack from the blogger, Robert Jago. Jago cites news articles where the author stakes the claim that use of that phrase amounts to anti-semitism and of insensitivity to the Jewish people.
Both cases, IMHO, smack of political correctness and the damage it has done. People can not speak even in the most innocent of ways without accusations intended to silence them being hurled in their direction. Both topics are ripe for manipulation by leftists who would have us believe all manner of silly nonsense about Jews, Israel, Aboriginal people in North American and persons of European ancestry.
Enough with the clap-trap, I say. No one has monopoly control over the use of language and no group, whether ethnic, religious, racial or nationality speaks with one voice on any issue. If you believe that, then you're part of the problem. (Old lefties, and ex-lefties like myself, will remember "If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem", as if someone has a monopoly on the idea of what constitutes "the problem" let alone "the solution".)
Moreover, language is constantly evolving. How many of us still speak and understand Shakespearian English? Ole Bill Shakespeare was churning out his prodigious poetry and plays about the same time as the Jesuits were attempting to convert les sauvages in the Eastern regions of North America to Catholicism. And having studied the history of Indian and White relations in Canada, I can tell you for sure that the Jesuits were rather fond of their charges and far more accommodating of their traditional ways than any modern day captain of the Indian Industry would like us to know. For the most part, "les sauvages" were perceived by the Jesuits as children of the forest, a people in a state of nature, existing in mankind's pristine state, which is what the term meant in French at that time - NOT, I repeat NOT as a bunch of bloodthirsty savages as the Indian Industry wants us to believe.
I'll have more to say about this in future posts. Most specifically, I will tell my readers of a conversation I had with my niece a few weeks ago. She is taking a Native Studies course at the University of Saskatchewan and was talking about things her prof was teaching as the gospel truth. You can probably guess where I'm heading with this. Stay tuned.
The second one is at Dime a Dozen Blog, where the use of the phrase "never again" by Stephane Dion in a letter to his fellow Liberals comes under attack from the blogger, Robert Jago. Jago cites news articles where the author stakes the claim that use of that phrase amounts to anti-semitism and of insensitivity to the Jewish people.
Both cases, IMHO, smack of political correctness and the damage it has done. People can not speak even in the most innocent of ways without accusations intended to silence them being hurled in their direction. Both topics are ripe for manipulation by leftists who would have us believe all manner of silly nonsense about Jews, Israel, Aboriginal people in North American and persons of European ancestry.
Enough with the clap-trap, I say. No one has monopoly control over the use of language and no group, whether ethnic, religious, racial or nationality speaks with one voice on any issue. If you believe that, then you're part of the problem. (Old lefties, and ex-lefties like myself, will remember "If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem", as if someone has a monopoly on the idea of what constitutes "the problem" let alone "the solution".)
Moreover, language is constantly evolving. How many of us still speak and understand Shakespearian English? Ole Bill Shakespeare was churning out his prodigious poetry and plays about the same time as the Jesuits were attempting to convert les sauvages in the Eastern regions of North America to Catholicism. And having studied the history of Indian and White relations in Canada, I can tell you for sure that the Jesuits were rather fond of their charges and far more accommodating of their traditional ways than any modern day captain of the Indian Industry would like us to know. For the most part, "les sauvages" were perceived by the Jesuits as children of the forest, a people in a state of nature, existing in mankind's pristine state, which is what the term meant in French at that time - NOT, I repeat NOT as a bunch of bloodthirsty savages as the Indian Industry wants us to believe.
I'll have more to say about this in future posts. Most specifically, I will tell my readers of a conversation I had with my niece a few weeks ago. She is taking a Native Studies course at the University of Saskatchewan and was talking about things her prof was teaching as the gospel truth. You can probably guess where I'm heading with this. Stay tuned.
posted by Louise at 6:19 am
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