I tend to react to racist labels that always seem to create
issues where someone gets hurt. Why is it ok for one person to call another
person wetback, blanco, blanca or nigga? If someone else says this there’s a great
likelihood they could be beat or killed? Language becomes a tool that empowers
one person to succeed and rise above the masses and another ends up in prison
because of reacting to a label or stereotype? Sadly enough I’m around teens and
young adults that become prisoners of their own devices. The way that we talk
to those closest to us reveals our true selves and our destiny.
So why are we so quick to label someone smart, dumb, fat,
pretty ugly or some racial slur? Does this really put the one doing this above
the person being demeaned? I usually cringe when I hear someone use this type
of language! I know that ultimately it will create hurt, widen the racial gap
and cause the person being demeaned to react in a more verbal or violent
fashion.
It’s also just as easy for someone who perceives himself or
herself as being more intelligent than someone else to us a verbal harangue to
attack. Much like when working with a different ethnic group that speaks
another language you can end up attempting to guess what is being said behind
your back because you’re not bilingual. The difficulty is that too often we
make an assumption that could be entirely wrong.
I get it that our urban language has changed the way we
address each other and makes for a rather fascinating dialogue. I appreciate
how Tupac helps with unfolding the urban speak with the following, ‘Nigger – a
black man with a slavery chain around his neck and Nigga – a black man with a
gold chain on his neck.’ It’s so easy for me as a white guy to not see how the
baggage from the past could truly impact someone with his or her choice of
dress, speech and vocation. Yes, I react
to the use of the N word that freely flows amongst many of my guy and a few gal
teens.
I struggle with hearing the F-bomb come out of younger kids.
I had a situation recently where one of my ASU interns, he’s from China, was
actually offended by one of the littler guys swearing. I was quick not to make
any excuses for the guy’s language choice but had him come over and express to
my ASU intern his logic for being foul mouthed. His explanation wasn’t rocket
science, ‘when I get upset or frustrated with myself I end up swearing.’ Part
of the kid’s reasoning was that is just the way he has been raised. So if his
mom or uncle talks this way, guess what, he’ll probably unload the F bomb. It’s
also ok for my intern and me to react and challenge these budding teens to
discover different ways to express themselves that is more intelligent.
Is it possible for me to step back and not react to the N
word, F bomb or someone speaking behind my back in a different language? My
wife worked in a medical office for over 20 years and would always to react to
how foul mouthed the younger gals would be most of the time. How much of the
issue at hand is my inability to accept today’s culture? Do I have to tolerate
foul language and racial slurs? Is it possible to influence language choice
amongst those around you that are really different from you? Maybe I should
listen to Tupac more? Maybe the youth of today could actually learn something
from their elders! Do we have to become prisoners of our own devices?
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