10-01-2012, 10:03 AM | #46 |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
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10-01-2012, 10:34 AM | #47 |
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10-01-2012, 01:10 PM | #48 | |
Bah, humbug!
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General Nathan Bedford Forrest founded the Klan and served as its first Grand Wizard, and his legacy is alive and well. Just last year the Mississippi chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans wanted to honor him on the state's automobile license plates. (We have that group in Virginia. The slogan of the Virginia chapter that you see on a lot of bumper stickers next to a picture of the Confederate battle flag says, "Heritage, not hate.") And just over a month ago in Selma, Alabama, where Dr. Martin Luther King fought many battles for civil rights, the city council decided it would be a good idea to erect a monument honoring the first Grand Wizard of the KKK. Evidently both efforts are to commentate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. I'm glad the change was made. For most folks here at MobileRead it's a small thing; but for many of us, especially those of us living in a place where many have still not accepted General Lee's surrender at Appomattox in April of 1865, it unburdens us of a lot of discomfort. I have no desire to be known as a Grand Wizard. Last edited by WT Sharpe; 10-01-2012 at 01:35 PM. |
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10-01-2012, 01:38 PM | #49 | |
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Anyway, Thanks for explaining, I understand what you mean, I just feel the change was unnecessary |
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10-01-2012, 01:59 PM | #50 |
Bah, humbug!
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I'm just saying that I'm grateful that there are people here who are considerate enough to respect our feelings. I haven't said, nor would I say, that people elsewhere in the world should tiptoe around us. But just as I make allowances for the feelings of other people in the global community whose history I don't share, so also am I glad that there are people elsewhere in the world who don't wish to cause us unnecessary pain and discomfort when it can be so easily avoided. It is kind and caring people like that who make life worth living.
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10-01-2012, 08:04 PM | #51 | |
Grand Sorcerer
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And yes, this would be something of an annoyance to those who prefer the term "Grand Wizard" to "Grand Sorcerer." However, at Mobileread, the goal of politeness and public welcome trumps personal aesthetics; it's less important that the labels be pleasing to the people they don't offend than that they actively offend as few people as possible. The believe, I expect, is that those who dislike "Grand Sorcerer" are welcome to change it to something they enjoy, and that they are not overly-burdened by seeing the label on other people's profiles. The same is not true in the other direction; those who dislike "Grand Wizard" are often not drawing on personal preferences, but a cultural history involving hate-filled oppression that was often expressed through murder. Insisting that, because that cultural history doesn't span the globe, the mods should ignore it, implies a feeling of "bigotry and racism are just fine as long as they're not in my back yard." |
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10-01-2012, 08:48 PM | #52 | |
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10-01-2012, 08:51 PM | #53 |
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10-01-2012, 11:29 PM | #54 |
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This thread has certainly taken on a life of its own since I last visited. I'm glad that at least some others share my thoughts even though my critics are apparently suffering from immeasurable pain. As I had mentioned before, I wasn't personally offended by the user title. However, I like to believe that someone's character isn't measured by how much they care when they're personally affected by something negative, but rather by how much they care even when they're not personally affected. I'd like to thank everyone that has shown me support (or that at least has not attacked me), and to all my critics, feel free to change your title to Grand Wizard to show just how much you support having that title.
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10-02-2012, 12:01 AM | #55 |
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To say that, because any phrase might be offensive, no phrase should be changed is a very book-unfriendly stance. Writers and editors make the decision to avoid misleading connotations all the time. The point isn't that one is being pushed around by the bastions of political correctness. It's that a thought should be expressed without distractions. An idea shouldn't find itself in some inescapable box of associations.
I, too, thought of the KKK when I read the words Grand Wizard, partly because I've dealt with real-life racists and anti-Semites all my life. Why should Mobile Read be put in the position of seeming to condone or ignore racism when the issue can be made to vanish with the use of a synonym? Now that you've dealt with Wizardgate, WT, perhaps you can have a look at the syntax and usage of the Mobile Read password prompt that begins, "Hello you there!" It isn't offensive, but it could be edited to make more sense. And thanks, WT, for choosing to defend the humane position in your early days in the South. It's always easier to say nothing, which is why it's commendable to make a point of speaking up. Last edited by Prestidigitweeze; 10-02-2012 at 03:32 AM. |
10-02-2012, 01:54 AM | #56 |
Bah, humbug!
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I'll suggest it be replaced with, "Hey, y'all!"
Last edited by WT Sharpe; 10-02-2012 at 02:15 AM. |
10-02-2012, 02:55 AM | #57 | |
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Stitchawl |
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10-02-2012, 02:58 AM | #58 |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
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Or "Ullo, mi dearios"
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10-02-2012, 03:26 AM | #59 | |
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Here's the full MR prompt, which I sometimes hear in the voice of Steve Martin due to the peculiar syntax and once-familiar phrases that seem to have metamorphosed into something odd:
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Last edited by Prestidigitweeze; 10-02-2012 at 03:35 AM. |
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10-02-2012, 03:33 AM | #60 | ||
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