Quick Links
Categories
Calendar
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
XML/RSS Feed
Other Heathen Blogs and Journals
Caryatid's LiveJournal
Boars Heart's LiveJournal
Orn Ransom's LiveJournal
Thorolf's LiveJournal
Falki's LiveJournal
MacRaven
Seledréam
Vanatru's LiveJournal
Expanding Inward
Boars Heart's LiveJournal
Orn Ransom's LiveJournal
Thorolf's LiveJournal
Falki's LiveJournal
MacRaven
Seledréam
Vanatru's LiveJournal
Expanding Inward
Links of Heathen Interest
Other (non-heathen) Blogs
Subscribe
 |
 |
Technorati
Blog Value
My blog is worth $1,693.62.
How much is your blog worth?
Statistics
Total entries in this blog:
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Apr 26, 2006 10:02 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Apr 26, 2006 10:02 PM
Don't Call Me That!
A while back on the board we were discussing political
correctness (PC). I had brought forth the idea that PC brings benefits to the
Asatru community, whether we actually like it or not. Ooh, boy. Bad
idea.
Ever seen an entire message board gang up on someone? I have, many a time. It's my own fault, completely. I like bringing up topics that will annoy, upset, and make people think. I'm pretty thick-skinned about the process, generally.
This one went even deeper, though. There is something about the PC movement that is just absolute anathema to most Asatruar. It's fascinating.
Incidentally, I'm not the most PC person in the world either. I've been called such, and I suppose that there are some points in the area of political correctness that don't offend me, but a lot of it goes, in my opinion, way too far.
Recently I've begun to wonder: do we take that hatred of the PC too far? Sometimes it seems to me as if we go overboard in the opposite direction to avoid being classified with the more politically correct pagan religions, such as Wicca. Y'know, that group of religions that says "whatever you believe, we have a place for you. Everyone is welcome, no matter how stupid." There's a reason they often are stereotyped as "fluff-bunnies."
Here's an example that was discussed more recently on the board: slavery. Not what was abolished during the Civil War. Modern slavery as condoned by some Anglo-Saxon groups out there. Check out this link. (I'm sorry. I've tried several times to remember to write down the link so that I can insert it in here, and I keep forgetting. Go here and search for the Thiubook.) As you can see, this group brings in new members by calling them "thrall." In the olden days, a thrall was a slave or an indentured servant (which I put in the same category, except that the indentured servant was a temporary state). These new members have no civil rights, are considered "chattel," blah blah blah. You read the link, right?
It seems I've been using the word anathema a lot lately. Here I go again. This idea is truly anathema to me. I was literally physically ill after reading this.
*Imagined conversation* (feel free to find a friend and act this one out))
Person 1: "Hmmm. We can't let our organization be considered PC. What's the most un-PC thing you can think of?"
Person 2: "How about suppression of females?"
Person 1: "Dude, EVERYBODY'S done that one."
Person 2: "Slavery?"
Person 1: "Great idea, Person 2! We'll make all our new members slaves!"
For best results, use the voices of Mr. Burns and Smithers from The Simpsons. There's just something whacked about Mr. Burns saying "Dude!"
I don't mean to attack this group. However, I do attack this practice. I can't condone it. I'm sure they're mostly good people. Perhaps their system weeds out any not-good people. However, assuming that no system is infalliable, I suggest that the following possible scenario isn't unforeseeable:
Person A seeks to join the Normanii, and is... enthralled? oh, let's just say "sold" to Member B. Member B becomes infatuated with Person A and, realizing that he has bought her, decides to have sex with her. Suffice to say that from the point of view of Person A, the sex was non-consensual.
Person A is understandably upset about this development in the slave/master relationship, and goes to speak with the reeve (as you will recall from the link, no one may forbid a thrall from speaking to the reeve). The reeve listens to this complaint, which is coming from, as you will also recall, a piece of chattel with no honor and no civil rights. Hmmm. This chattel with no honor is accusing someone whose honor has been established in their group of doing something dishonorable? Who is going to be believed? And even if Member B did what Person A is alleging (although can we still call Person A a person at this point?), she is his property.
So Person A (or whatever she should now be called) decides that she should leave the group, as is her right. She regains her Person-hood. However, she cannot report the rape to the police, or the entire group can rise up against her.
Understand, though, that I don't think that's what this group is aiming for. And I don't mean to imply that this has happened. I see it as a potential situation based on their system. Hopefully I'm wrong. However, one of the things that must be considered when putting a practice into effect is "What is the worst way this could be abused?" I think not considering that and altering the structure to prevent it is the worst thing this group has perpetrated.
I submit that just because something is politically correct doesn't automatically make it a bad thing. To be against slavery is politically correct. To be against slavery is a good thing (as I hope you will agree).
I may add some more examples along this line of thought later, but I wanted to go ahead and vent this one out. Hope you enjoyed. If so, click on that "feedback link" and let me know.
Ever seen an entire message board gang up on someone? I have, many a time. It's my own fault, completely. I like bringing up topics that will annoy, upset, and make people think. I'm pretty thick-skinned about the process, generally.
This one went even deeper, though. There is something about the PC movement that is just absolute anathema to most Asatruar. It's fascinating.
Incidentally, I'm not the most PC person in the world either. I've been called such, and I suppose that there are some points in the area of political correctness that don't offend me, but a lot of it goes, in my opinion, way too far.
Recently I've begun to wonder: do we take that hatred of the PC too far? Sometimes it seems to me as if we go overboard in the opposite direction to avoid being classified with the more politically correct pagan religions, such as Wicca. Y'know, that group of religions that says "whatever you believe, we have a place for you. Everyone is welcome, no matter how stupid." There's a reason they often are stereotyped as "fluff-bunnies."
Here's an example that was discussed more recently on the board: slavery. Not what was abolished during the Civil War. Modern slavery as condoned by some Anglo-Saxon groups out there. Check out this link. (I'm sorry. I've tried several times to remember to write down the link so that I can insert it in here, and I keep forgetting. Go here and search for the Thiubook.) As you can see, this group brings in new members by calling them "thrall." In the olden days, a thrall was a slave or an indentured servant (which I put in the same category, except that the indentured servant was a temporary state). These new members have no civil rights, are considered "chattel," blah blah blah. You read the link, right?
It seems I've been using the word anathema a lot lately. Here I go again. This idea is truly anathema to me. I was literally physically ill after reading this.
*Imagined conversation* (feel free to find a friend and act this one out))
Person 1: "Hmmm. We can't let our organization be considered PC. What's the most un-PC thing you can think of?"
Person 2: "How about suppression of females?"
Person 1: "Dude, EVERYBODY'S done that one."
Person 2: "Slavery?"
Person 1: "Great idea, Person 2! We'll make all our new members slaves!"
For best results, use the voices of Mr. Burns and Smithers from The Simpsons. There's just something whacked about Mr. Burns saying "Dude!"
I don't mean to attack this group. However, I do attack this practice. I can't condone it. I'm sure they're mostly good people. Perhaps their system weeds out any not-good people. However, assuming that no system is infalliable, I suggest that the following possible scenario isn't unforeseeable:
Person A seeks to join the Normanii, and is... enthralled? oh, let's just say "sold" to Member B. Member B becomes infatuated with Person A and, realizing that he has bought her, decides to have sex with her. Suffice to say that from the point of view of Person A, the sex was non-consensual.
Person A is understandably upset about this development in the slave/master relationship, and goes to speak with the reeve (as you will recall from the link, no one may forbid a thrall from speaking to the reeve). The reeve listens to this complaint, which is coming from, as you will also recall, a piece of chattel with no honor and no civil rights. Hmmm. This chattel with no honor is accusing someone whose honor has been established in their group of doing something dishonorable? Who is going to be believed? And even if Member B did what Person A is alleging (although can we still call Person A a person at this point?), she is his property.
So Person A (or whatever she should now be called) decides that she should leave the group, as is her right. She regains her Person-hood. However, she cannot report the rape to the police, or the entire group can rise up against her.
Understand, though, that I don't think that's what this group is aiming for. And I don't mean to imply that this has happened. I see it as a potential situation based on their system. Hopefully I'm wrong. However, one of the things that must be considered when putting a practice into effect is "What is the worst way this could be abused?" I think not considering that and altering the structure to prevent it is the worst thing this group has perpetrated.
I submit that just because something is politically correct doesn't automatically make it a bad thing. To be against slavery is politically correct. To be against slavery is a good thing (as I hope you will agree).
I may add some more examples along this line of thought later, but I wanted to go ahead and vent this one out. Hope you enjoyed. If so, click on that "feedback link" and let me know.
Posted: Mon - March 8, 2004 at 02:45 AM