I want to thank you for this comment; the timing was uncanny. I’d taken a few seconds to pause and reflect, when I was a child, and all local news was on TV for a half hour in mornings, noon and evenings, and 11 pm, followed by an hour national and international news, we never heard newscasters using dehumanizing language, nor tabloid style headlines. We did get the main points, and a mention of the opposition point. No editorializing. We didn’t call our neighbors, far or near “trash, monster, dog, pig.” Any disapproval was met with, "unh UNH UNH,” “lord’a’mercy,” and if strong disagreement must be voiced, "pshaw!” I remember being shamed for saying that word as a child, sometimes whipped, if the wrong adult caught it. I recall at the time only having heard either parent say “damn!” once or twice. Around the time the charismatic Christian movement rolled through was about the time my parents divorced, Reagan rode the charismatic Christian wave into office, and things drastically began deteriorating. I’m not blaming Christians, either, I am blaming politicians who use faith and/or ignorance to keep culture wars going wars going to keep class wars from beginning. *
I remember when I was a young, emancipated minor being shocked twice by my grandmother’s language. Once when she told me about the 4 f club, and I asked what it was, and she told me (was even more shocked when she said she’d overheard men talking just before she married at 14), and another when she told me she’d had a dream about lovemaking. I shocked her back when I incredulously asked if she had a sex dream and she said, “I was talking about kissing!” (Maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t).
I’ve been trying to guard my own language and behavior a bit better, the last some months, and I’ve noticed a difference in my perspectives, language, and attitudes, toward myself and fellow humans.
All this to say, thank you for the mild language. It’s made me realize while, not being particularly religious, the meaning of, “in the beginning, there was the word, and the word was with God, and the word WAS God.” Ancient Sumeria wasn’t wrong. It all begins with the stories we tell ourselves and the language we use to do so.
My Grandfather smoked his whole life. I was about 10 years old when my mother said to him, ‘If you ever want to see your grandchildren graduate, you have to stop immediately.’. Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake. He gave it up immediately. Three years later he died of lung cancer. It was really sad and destroyed me. My mother said to me- 'Don’t ever smoke. Please don’t put your family through what your Grandfather put us through." I agreed. At 28, I have never touched a cigarette. I must say, I feel a very slight sense of regret for never having done it, because your post gave me cancer anyway.
I want to thank you for this comment; the timing was uncanny. I’d taken a few seconds to pause and reflect, when I was a child, and all local news was on TV for a half hour in mornings, noon and evenings, and 11 pm, followed by an hour national and international news, we never heard newscasters using dehumanizing language, nor tabloid style headlines. We did get the main points, and a mention of the opposition point. No editorializing. We didn’t call our neighbors, far or near “trash, monster, dog, pig.” Any disapproval was met with, "unh UNH UNH,” “lord’a’mercy,” and if strong disagreement must be voiced, "pshaw!” I remember being shamed for saying that word as a child, sometimes whipped, if the wrong adult caught it. I recall at the time only having heard either parent say “damn!” once or twice. Around the time the charismatic Christian movement rolled through was about the time my parents divorced, Reagan rode the charismatic Christian wave into office, and things drastically began deteriorating. I’m not blaming Christians, either, I am blaming politicians who use faith and/or ignorance to keep culture wars going wars going to keep class wars from beginning. *
I remember when I was a young, emancipated minor being shocked twice by my grandmother’s language. Once when she told me about the 4 f club, and I asked what it was, and she told me (was even more shocked when she said she’d overheard men talking just before she married at 14), and another when she told me she’d had a dream about lovemaking. I shocked her back when I incredulously asked if she had a sex dream and she said, “I was talking about kissing!” (Maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t).
I’ve been trying to guard my own language and behavior a bit better, the last some months, and I’ve noticed a difference in my perspectives, language, and attitudes, toward myself and fellow humans.
All this to say, thank you for the mild language. It’s made me realize while, not being particularly religious, the meaning of, “in the beginning, there was the word, and the word was with God, and the word WAS God.” Ancient Sumeria wasn’t wrong. It all begins with the stories we tell ourselves and the language we use to do so.
Thanks again.
My blfaul , excited out repetition.
My Grandfather smoked his whole life. I was about 10 years old when my mother said to him, ‘If you ever want to see your grandchildren graduate, you have to stop immediately.’. Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake. He gave it up immediately. Three years later he died of lung cancer. It was really sad and destroyed me. My mother said to me- 'Don’t ever smoke. Please don’t put your family through what your Grandfather put us through." I agreed. At 28, I have never touched a cigarette. I must say, I feel a very slight sense of regret for never having done it, because your post gave me cancer anyway.
And yours must have added years to my life from laughing so good 👍
I knew how this was going go and your comment is so old it gave me cancer coming reddit to now on lemmy.
Jeeeeeesus Christ.