Quote:
Originally Posted by Los Angeles Past
I'm sorry I lost my temper, but once you start "sanitizing" history, it ceases to be truthful. Censoring individual words may seem trivial to you, but what if an academic is researching the usage of pejorative racial terms in L.A. history? Your censored articles won't show up in web searches. How, exactly, is that a good thing?
The reason I stopped contributing is because there are a ton of people here who are vastly more knowledgeable about L.A. history than I am, and I now prefer to simply sit back, listen and learn. I'm sorry I actually dared to speak up with a dissenting opinion. I know my words were unnecessarily harsh, but so were yours, Bruce. You may have started this thread, but it doesn't give you the right to bully someone off of it just because they disagree with you. ...Again, I apologize.
-Scott
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When I saw your original post I wasn't sure if it was directed to me (for first broaching the issue with the map with the N. Hill reference), or GW, or e_r, or all us. Perhaps it doesn't matter but for my part, apology accepted.
I don't think anyone objected to your dissenting opinion - only the startling vitriol with which it was expressed. One reason I love this thread is that when controversial issues have arisen, the participants have always remained polite. It's about the only place on the internet where I have seen that and courtesy factor means almost as much to me as the awesome content here. It lets me enter tricky ground like this and the Barney's Beanery topic without having to worry about "blowing up" the thread.
I gave your comments a lot of thought. (Partly because I'm recovering from a little medical procedure this week, and being unable to celebrate New Years with wife and friends, was housebound last night!) e_r and others responded to your comments quickly and I saw no point in piling on, but now that we've gotten polite again, I
would like to reply.
First, have to say that I despise the term "politically correct", especially in this context. My avoidance of the "N word" had nothing to do with politics or societal pressure. It was about my personal choice and boundaries. I wouldn't object if
you use here it in an academic context...but I won't.
About the time I posted the map here I emailed it to my mom. I did use the "N" word in the subject box when I wrote her, because I knew that she'd understand the context and where I was coming from. But using it verbatim in a public place is different to me.
By avoiding or obscuring the N word, I guess I was nonverbally saying two things. First, that I hate the word and wouldn't it unless referring to something historical among close friends. (Actually, I don't think I've
ever used it in public...so why start here?)
Secondly, I think that repeating the word verbatim gives it a little more currency. Do you remember Lenny Bruce's famous rap about this? In essence he said, (and I'm paraphrasing, obscuring the words), if President Kennedy got on television and said it over and over, and used the word with every black man he saw, the word would lose its power, and you could never again make a black child cry when he came home from school. Well, Lenny Bruce was a great and brilliant comic, but I disagree. The historical facts can't be undone by repeating the word, and I don't think anyone really wants to hear it.
You
did make a good point with your comment "What if an academic is researching the usage of pejorative racial terms in L.A. history? Your censored articles won't show up in web searches".That is true (or would have been true, except that the word appeared in e_r's reply). I can only respond that 1; there is a lot of other important history here that's not recorded in text and thus not searchable and 2; at least some skinhead moron won't find the map I posted and stick a print on his wall.
I guess I've said enough. You're welcome to reply, but I think I'll end here. Thanks again for the thoughtful follow up. Happy new years to you Scott, and everyone else here. This just might be the best place on the internet, ever.
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Those are some pretty good possibilities G_W. Leave it to you to notice that the squared-off marquee was rather unique.
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