I am curious why you have to use the language like

“… George Bush’s fucking ego…”

I dispise the man and his policies, but I simply don’t get the use of that sort of language in political discussion.

I have recently returned from Italy having attended my brother in law’s memorial. Gianni Rigacci was a devoted political activist on the far far left in Italy for 5 decades and he was a dignified man and would never use that type of language in a political discussion. He was so well respected in Italy despite his far left politics that the speaker of the Italian parliment came from Rome to pay respects to him.

Why are we so easy to use this type of language? I don’t find that it helps in any way. Am I too old to get it or what?

Well, I’m 72, and I kinda get it.

“‘There are moments,’ writes poet Charles Simic, ‘when true invective is called for, when it becomes an absolute necessity, out of a deep sense of justice, to denounce, mock, vituperate, lash out, in the strongest possible language.’ But however we act, we’d do well to treat ordinary citizens with respect.”

–Charles Simic, quoted in “The argument culture,” Irish Times, December 17, 1998

I’m with the poet, and not the reverend on this one. It really is one of those times, replete with all kinds of moments. Criminal Bush is not an ordinary citizen, and he has defiled his office and the country to boot.

That said, before I shut up, I’ll simply say, well, fuck him with a heartfelt

fuck, fuckity, fuck.

NZ Expat @
23

The nurse’s aide, who so lovingly cleaned up my mother after an “accident” yesterday said that she had been on an eight day “vacation” and missed saying goodbye to my mother’s roommate, who died a few days ago. I asked her what she did on her vacation, and she said she worked more on her other job. One job pays for rent and transportation, the other job pays for food for her family.

I told her that there were people who worked hard in the last election to change things for people like her. She looked at me with incredulity. “I didn’t think people even knew that people like me existed.”

Any ideas? There are strict rules against giving employees gifts. She is one of many, but she is the one who has been compassionate to my mom despite her weariness.

Gratitude is the way to sanity, and must be expressed.

Send her a thank you card through the hospital. Also send the hospital a letter mentioning her by name, praising her care of your mother.
This helps morale more than you know, and it makes an impression on the higher ups too. You’ll be doing her a good turn.
The last hospital I worked for counted up the good words you got from patient surveys.
Every 5 or 10 good reports earned you a gold star pin. Every 5 pins earned you money…$50 I think. I thought it was sad to be given gold stars like kindergarteners again, but there it is.
And bless you for wanting to give her a gift, that is really heartwarming.

Definitely a note to the hospital – the head of nurses, perhaps – as well as a note to her. And maybe also make a gift in her honor to Blue America (see the next thread), and tell her about it in the note. “These are the folks I was telling you about, that are trying to change things.”

I, and many like me, who are hugely removed from being an expert on Middle East affairs saw right through the Bush fabrications for invading Iraq. I want ALL politicians (the big DC brains) who voted for attacking Iraq in the first place, and especially those who support continued American presence in Iraq, dealt with. Harshly. Regardless of political party.

EPU, but I didn’t see any mention of another Repug going awol on The Deciderer: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..an_senator

Pretty strong statements, on the Senate floor no less, from another Rubber Stamper. Gee maybe he knows we’re gunning for his ass in 08.

The nurse’s aide, who so lovingly cleaned up my mother after an “accident” yesterday said that she had been on an eight day “vacation” and missed saying goodbye to my mother’s roommate, who died a few days ago. I asked her what she did on her vacation, and she said she worked more on her other job. One job pays for rent and transportation, the other job pays for food for her family.

I told her that there were people who worked hard in the last election to change things for people like her. She looked at me with incredulity. “I didn’t think people even knew that people like me existed.”

Any ideas? There are strict rules against giving employees gifts. She is one of many, but she is the one who has been compassionate to my mom despite her weariness.

Gratitude is the way to sanity, and must be expressed.

Send her a thank you card through the hospital. Also send the hospital a letter mentioning her by name, praising her care of your mother.
This helps morale more than you know, and it makes an impression on the higher ups too. You’ll be doing her a good turn.
The last hospital I worked for counted up the good words you got from patient surveys.
Every 5 or 10 good reports earned you a gold star pin. Every 5 pins earned you money…$50 I think. I thought it was sad to be given gold stars like kindergarteners again, but there it is.
And bless you for wanting to give her a gift, that is really heartwarming.

TeddySanFran @ 131

Since Michael Richards and the accompanying debate, including Reverend Jackson’s call for all of us to stop using that word, I have a new strategy that works on the public bus I ride home. I’m always accompanied by students who use the Richards word on each other and on the folks on the other end of their cellphone calls. Here’s what I do now: snap my head around, do a gay shriek (ask Kathy Griffin if you don’t know what that sounds like!) and stare at them with my hand across my mouth. Then I say, “Jesse Jackson sez we musn’t say that word.”

The silence is deafening, except for older people (usually in the front of the bus) who nod their heads and agree with me, quietly. The kids all shut up. It helps that they think I’m an undercover cop, due to my build (?!), my dirty cop mirrored sunglasses, and my fearlessness when sitting in the back of the bus, among all of them and their noisemakers that aren’t radios and therefore don’t attract the busdriver’s attention.

I recommend Shock-and-Awe for the Michael Richards word — it’s working for me.

I said it before, and I must say it again…
You’re my hero, Teddy!!!! : )

I just get SOOOOO DISGUSTED every time I hear that n-word…
My gangsta cousin may think he’s so “pimpin’” when he says it, but I just want to scream whenever I’m at their house. I mean, is that the type of behavior that he wants his 2-year-old son to learn? Although he may not be intentionally using words such as the n-word in a racust way, it still means different things to different sets of people…

‘c**t’ affects some people the same way. Not me, so much, but just sayin’

Somewhere up thread we had a burst of revelry (is wallowry a word?) celebrating “naughty words”, and my excresences were in the spirit (odor) of these exchanges.

[the sfb reference was discussed in the comment - “Dear SFB” is the title of the Letters to Editor pages in the EarthFirst! Journal]

In any event, my wallows were intended as a bit of a send up of celebrating “naughty words” for the sake for the sake of saying “naughty words.”

The comment started:

Good morning you miserable turds!

(And Good morning, firepups!….)

[snip - and ended:]

We will live to see the defeat of Armani-garbed violent avarice – aka neo-liberalism.

In the process, we’ll need a wide net of alliances and networks – and those will all require discussions among different cultural subgroups.

As language is the tool of thought, I’m glad that DefJef and others are raising the perfectly useful question of how the words we seleect affect the success of our efforts to inform and persuade.

Shit. piss, corruption, snot

Thirty-two assholes tied in a knot!

That’s a hard question, DefJef.

Thanks for asking it. :)

I so respect your work egregious, and the last thing I’d want to do is cause you discomfort or add to existing discomfort.

There’s a reason I don’t earn my living as a comic – I’m seldom good at it!

Be well – hope better days are near.

katymine @ 96

Can I be a DFH now if I was one in the 60’s?

Can you be a real one now without being one then?
I really F**k’n want to know?

Damn.

Where’d I leave my manual?

Real hippies never referred to themselves as such, that was the media term. The word we used among ourselves was freak.

Mommybrain @ 104

I don’t have trouble with the Sprout and cuss words. Most of my cursing is done by keyboard these days. BUT…

After Michael Richard’s meltdown, he thought it amusing to try out that word. In public. At a multiracial community gathering. Oh, my, was my face red.

We’ve had several long talks since then.

Since Michael Richards and the accompanying debate, including Reverend Jackson’s call for all of us to stop using that word, I have a new strategy that works on the public bus I ride home. I’m always accompanied by students who use the Richards word on each other and on the folks on the other end of their cellphone calls. Here’s what I do now: snap my head around, do a gay shriek (ask Kathy Griffin if you don’t know what that sounds like!) and stare at them with my hand across my mouth. Then I say, “Jesse Jackson sez we musn’t say that word.”

The silence is deafening, except for older people (usually in the front of the bus) who nod their heads and agree with me, quietly. The kids all shut up. It helps that they think I’m an undercover cop, due to my build (?!), my dirty cop mirrored sunglasses, and my fearlessness when sitting in the back of the bus, among all of them and their noisemakers that aren’t radios and therefore don’t attract the busdriver’s attention.

I recommend Shock-and-Awe for the Michael Richards word — it’s working for me.

Ha ha ha he he hoo… TSF, you are a fabulous mess. Are we related? My guess, you were on the 22 Fillmore nearing the corner of McAllister for a transfer to the 5 Fulton. I always sat in the back near the action as well and had a few successful encounters such as you describe. But I sure watched a few encounters backfire so please do be careful amigo.
You make me homesick!