Here is the place where I am to ramble about life and love and languages. You'll probably encounter some quasi-anthropological ranting and a lot of wanderlust. I do try not to be too emo, and occasionally throw in things of worldly interest, so stop by and read if you have a few minutes. :)
March 14, 2006
"We just want..."
In the newspaper today, they quoted George Bush saying, "We just want people to come home." It seemed a silly thing to say, at first. Then I thought to myself, what if it wasn't George Bush who said it? What if it was someone I respected, or even someone I had never heard of before? Instead of seeming awkward or silly, I might go so far as to appreciate a sort of eloquence in it's simplicity. Clearly perceived stupidity is self perpetuating. Perhaps it is wrong. Then again, having wrought it upon himself, does Bush not deserve the prejudice?
When you say what if--my answer is that the context is different.
ReplyDeleteSince the context is different, necessarily, the meaning is different. So it's not like someone can just lift a line, place it in another context, and expect it to do the same work. If we imagine a leader of a dislocated country saying that about her people, we can try to appreciate the deep hurt and tears in their families, economy, and society... if we imagine a butthead saying that in a sarcastic way, the mafia is on speed dial. :)