I've been having way too much fun posting. Sure sure, I caused a bit (a lot?) of trouble, but I guess that's the freedom of the "intra-nerd" for you. Give any idiot a PC and suddenly he/she has got opinions. Case in point, me.
So obviously I copped a bit of flak, firstly for being an arsehole. Sure, I guess I wasn't going to let some idea stand for "the truth" without evidence. Or without intelligent, accurate dialogue, at least (don't come looking to me for that though!)
.
But I'm just stubborn with my opinions, and I'm rather pedantic when it comes to supporting an argument with "facts." Heck, I'm a relativist; there ain't no objective truth, there is only beliefs, and strengths of argument.
But more interesting, there was a flippant remark I made. And it seems to have drawn quite a response. People have trundled out their old knee-jerk response, and let fly. I guess when one walks into a close-knit community and start to challenge the status quo, then ranks close.
Reminds me of a book by
Philip Roth called
The Human Stain. And that it holds an interesting and relative parable pertinent to my current situation.
You see, there is this English literature professor, who also happens to specialise in Ancient languages, such a Greek. And every day during class he does roll call. One day near the middle of the semester, he calls two names that he has been calling since the start of the year, and who have never been present. And he turns to the class and say "Who are these spooks ?"
And all hell brakes loose. Because not only is it a term describing "ghosts" or "spirits", it is also a racial slur against a black person. And, as the professor latter finds out, these two students not present were black.
So he has a law suit pressed against him, and he loses his job, his wife later dies and he is all alone. All because of a single word.
Spooks.
There are further twists to that story that I won't even mention; suffice to say, it allows the ideas of "racism" and of "anti-semitism" new interpretations.
Antisemitism.
Which American can read
this article and not, at the least, have some wavering in their support for Israel?
I like Seinfield. Mad About You wasn't bad. Hell, I love Woody Allen. But if I don't agree with the
the Israel lobby , or
AIPAC , does that make me anti-semitic?
What happens when one day someone realises the religious and/or political and/or cultural background of another human being; should they recognise that?
To even say someone is Jewish; does that make me antisemitic?
Some will
even say they know what I was thinking when I made that post.
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