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| Originally posted by syracusa,+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (syracusa,)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Well...black people have used the word brother/sister to emphasize "they're in this together".[/b] |
Precisely. It carries power with it's use, whether or not most people realise it. That's the importance of tapping into that kind of use of language.
If you don't believe in this kind of revolutionary power, consider if we stopped referring to black people as "black" people. What if we stopped using a racial or color qualifier every time we describe someone or a group? Words can and do have the power to change our reality.
<!--QuoteBegin-syracusa, I really don't know what revolutionaries should call each other...but I am not sure this would be the most crucial aspect.
What would worry me most if I were an active part of such a group would be..."are there enough of us to make a difference?" rather than "how we should call each other?".
Unfortunately, most people get caught in the pettiness of their own little, immediate situation (that sort of blind individualistic ideology which works for the rich like a charm) without realizing what a gargantuan power resides in NUMBERS, organized action and well-coordinated moves.
Oh, well. Maybe it's human nature.[/quote]
I think what your talking about is not what I'm talking about. Seems like you're talking about catagorising and labelling. I'm talking about using language to bring people together.
Words have power in themselves - we are one of the most (if not
the most) verbal species on the planet. Evolution decided that language is a powerful and effective tool for us. You may not realise this, if only because you, like most people, take language for granted.
Why do you think there is so much controversy about what languages should and should not be taught in public schools? I agree: most people get caught in the pettiness of their own little, immediate situation. You just seem to think that this is a petty matter, but language and how we communicate with one another is a GREATLY important topic, believe it or not.
I think you would do good to study the politics of veganism and animal rights. Then come back and tell me language, and what we call one another, means nothing... (Peter Singer's Animal Liberation is a good start.)