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<DIV><SPAN class=514342707-20022005><FONT color=#0000ff size=4>you make me
smile!! Thanks.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=514342707-20022005><FONT color=#0000ff size=4>This was a nice
and interesting diversion from the Christ Church talks (I've been deleting
nearly everything lately... I like Falen, so read his. Laughed at the joke and
then cringed cuz I knew he'd get slammed here.)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=514342707-20022005><FONT color=#0000ff size=4>ta ta (I'm really
going to bed now - I think)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=514342707-20022005></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Mark Seman
[mailto:FCS@Moscow.com]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, February 19, 2005 11:06
PM<BR><B>To:</B> LuJane Nisse publisher<BR><B>Cc:</B>
Vision2020<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: [Vision2020] buffalo<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" color=#0000ff size=2>I thought the joke was
funny. Not hilarious, but I "got" it ... it touched a nerve. I could
relate to it ... on many levels. Maybe it was because I was lead down my
own preconceived path (yes, I grew up with the Lone Ranger & Spagetti
Westerns [is that another derrogatory term?] and then the twist at the
end. Maybe it was because at the end I saw, the irony of the joke was on
a slam of white male businessmen, and as a white croatian/anglo/american male
business owner, I can relate to that. Maybe its that I've recently read
about the Nez Perce's perception of derrogation from the word "squaw" and I
can read a direct corollary with what's in the local news. Maybe it's
just some automatic chemical/neuronal/synaptic response that I have learne to
control yet. Or maybe its that I could connect with my persona of
ancestral ethnocentrism of the eastern Adriatic coastal region.
What the hell does that mean?<BR><BR>I grew up in a town (size of Moscow) with
strong subcultural ethnic roots, the us vs them. The Croations vs
Italians. It wasn't violent, it wasn't overtly nasty, it wasn't born of
my generation, but it was there. I heard words, I saw jestures, I could
sense it, but what "was" it? As I grew older my perception of <U>it</U>
changed. Early on, I couldn't put the pieces together ... why do these
nice people think these nice people are "bad"? Through normal adolescent
cognitive development, I was able to "read" what was going on. It wasn't
nice vs nice, it was us vs them. And I got older, I began to understand
that us vs them is human nature - it's been with us since ... forever.
As I learn more, I can sense when other people recognized an us vs
them theme. Two sad characteritcs of mankind: the inablity of some
members to recognize our inherant nature, and the
deliberate exploition of it for injurious intent. One funny
character of mankind is that there are those that will "play" (literally) off
that very nature, and some get paid well for that entertainment.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" color=#0000ff size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" color=#0000ff size=2>Knowing the sender's
intent is primary in understanding the true meaning of the
message. If one wants to only understand oneself (personality,
nationality, ethos) one will listen only to oneself. Understanding
<U>how</U> someone else is paying the price for your entertainment, is a good
start at knowing yourself. I <U>know</U> when to use the terms
cheese-head, retard, polock, dago, whop, nigger, squaw, rag-head,
Tonto to mean what I intend. But what I intend and what others hear
are not the same. Aural perception is not the same as cognitive
manipulation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" color=#0000ff size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" color=#0000ff size=2>...time-out, <FONT
color=#008080>Red</FONT> <FONT color=#ff0000>Green</FONT> is
on...................................................................................................................................
o.k., I'm back ..... I had to wait for the end to hear the Possum Lodge
prayer, "</FONT><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" color=#0000ff size=2>I'm a man, but
I can change, if I have to ... I guess." Ya'know, this show touches a
nerve. Some of you won't know what the hell I'm talking about. My
wife would rather watch soaps, than <FONT color=#008080>Red</FONT> <FONT
color=#ff0000>Green</FONT>. O.k., the point is that some of you will
"see" the <U>humor</U> in this, others (most) won't. But beyond that, I
like the show. (if you haven't heard of the show: <A
href="http://www.redgreen.com/">http://www.redgreen.com/</A> )</DIV>
<DIV><BR>At the end of any joke, conversation, agreement, statement, seminar,
board meeting, I read a lot into it. But maybe it's only me that reads
that into it. Ya'know, sometimes I feel just like Doug Stambler.
Fighting for my cause, knowing others are out there, but not being able
to "pull it off." Just one dollar short or just one day late. Just
like Doug, I can move on. I won't need bus fair, but I won't be
back either ... at least for five years, maybe then I'll want to live
here. It isn't a spontaneous notion, it is well planned ... at least
time-frames set. It's a matter of time either direction.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>I hope people understand this message , but I sense the futility that
most will only understand my intent, by the <U>words</U> I use or
"complimentary close" I use, rather than the concept of the email or what's in
my mind. I did snicker a little at the end of the joke, but I
respectfully subsided...then snickered a little more ... just a
little... Would I have posted it on V2020? No, that's not in my
taste. LuJane - Lizzie Rules!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>...oh, and ...... ahh heck... I am tired. I'm going to bed . . . acutally
uh, I gotta go to work!<BR><BR>What the hell does that mean,<BR>Mark<BR><IMG
style="WIDTH: 226px; HEIGHT: 100px" alt=""
src="file:///G:/Images/FCS/office/fcs-logo01.jpg"
NOSEND="1"><BR><SMALL><SMALL><FONT size=2><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Mark Seman</SPAN>, Architect<BR><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Heather Seman</SPAN>, Landscape
Architect<BR><STRONG></STRONG></FONT></FONT></SMALL><FONT
style="FONT-FAMILY: bradley hand itc"><SMALL><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"
size=2>1404 East 'F' Street Moscow, Idaho 83843<BR><STRONG>v</STRONG>
208-883-3276 / <STRONG>f
</STRONG>208-883-0112</FONT></SMALL></FONT></SMALL><BR><BR><BR><BR><FONT
color=#000000>-----Original Message-----<BR>From:
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com<BR>[</FONT></FONT><A
href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com"><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"
color=#000000 size=2>mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</FONT></A><FONT
face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>]On Behalf Of LuJane Nisse<BR>publisher<BR>Sent:
Saturday, February 19, 2005 8:50 PM<BR>To: hayfields@moscow.com;
vision2020@moscow.com<BR>Subject: RE: [Vision2020] buffalo<BR><BR><BR>well I
think the conversation got away from the "joke" per se. And more just<BR>the
changing of terms. (in my mind anyway).<BR>Giving fellow men respect goes both
ways too... if I slip and say a<BR>non-political correct term in innocent, I
should not get slammed.<BR>It seems everyone is pretty touchy.<BR>I guess you
can go into a sermon about being touchy because of past<BR>injustice. Yeah, I
get it. It isn't fun being a minority and feeling left<BR>out because of
something you really can't control.<BR><BR>ahh heck... I am tired. I'm going
to bed.<BR><BR><BR><BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From:
hayfields@moscow.com [</FONT><A href="mailto:hayfields@moscow.com"><FONT
face="Trebuchet MS" color=#000000
size=2>mailto:hayfields@moscow.com</FONT></A><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"
size=2>]<BR>Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 8:35 PM<BR>To:
lujane@lataheagle.com; vision2020@moscow.com<BR>Subject: RE: [Vision2020]
buffalo<BR><BR><BR>Why does the joke have to be associated with a race,
gender, creed...<BR>whatever? If the joke just isn't funny if you can't
tell it without<BR>associating it with a race, creed, gender... maybe that
joke isn't funny,<BR>just offensive. As far as I could tell MH
wasn't quibbling about the<BR>word Indian but about the racial stereotype.
Maybe Indian wasn't the<BR>preferred term, but from my point of view it was
the least offensive part<BR>of the joke. Again, why not just apologize
and try to do better next<BR>time.<BR>I always get concerned when people use
the term "politically correct" as<BR>a scapegoat for not trying to think about
what we say. To say that it is<BR>just too hard to remain "politically
correct" is to give up on the idea<BR>that we should all be working every day
to grant to our fellow humans the<BR>dignity and respect they deserve. And it
has nothing to do with<BR>being "politically correct". That term in and
of itself implies that we<BR>are only doing it because someday it might cause
us problems, not becuase<BR>we actually care. And I am sure that nothing
could be further from the<BR>truth.<BR><BR>Geez, maybe I will have to follow
Joan's example and start my own church,<BR>sorry for the sermon!<BR>Heather
Jordan.<BR><BR><BR>When we make a mistake, we can always apologize and thank
the person who<BR>corrected us, they have just done us a great
service.<BR><BR>What is so hard about that?<BR>> let me explain (some)...
As a child African Americans were called a lot<BR>of<BR>> things - racist
YES and I hate that (I grew up in the 50s and 60s) I<BR>never<BR>> bought
into the slang but the politically correct word if I remember<BR>right<BR>>
was Negro. As I got older the phrase changed to black and then African<BR>>
American. Maybe there was another one in there someplace.<BR>> Native
Americans ... the same.<BR>> SOOOO<BR>> I HAVE to think hard before I
speak to figure out which word is the<BR>right<BR>> one these days. I've
had to learn and unlearn several and my old brain<BR>is<BR>> not retaining
like it used to. I never want to offend people but I hate<BR>that<BR>> I
have to walk on eggshells hoping I chose the right phrase. If I didn't<BR>>
care, it wouldn't matter.<BR>> Maybe you all are young enough to not have
these same types of problems.<BR>><BR>> -----Original
Message-----<BR>> From: hayfields@moscow.com [</FONT><A
href="mailto:hayfields@moscow.com"><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" color=#000000
size=2>mailto:hayfields@moscow.com</FONT></A><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"
color=#0000ff size=2><FONT color=#000000>]<BR>> Sent: Saturday, February
19, 2005 8:07 PM<BR>> To: lujane@lataheagle.com; lfalen@turbonet.com;
vision2020@moscow.com<BR>> Subject: RE: [Vision2020]
buffalo<BR></FONT>><BR>><BR>><BR>> Isn't that an interesting
statement.<BR>> "everything almost these days is racist or
politically incorrect.<BR>> Difficult to even talk these days with
breaking egg shells."<BR>><BR>> I find that if one thinks before one
speaks (or types) it isn't hard at<BR>> all. I find it amazing that
people throw around that<BR>phrase "politically<BR>> incorrect", when what
they mean is :it was so much easier when we didn't<BR>> have to think about
how our words can impact others. When minority<BR>> groups just
ignored all the racist, thoughtless things that leak out of<BR>> our
mouths.<BR>> Forget the 'politically incorrect' stuff. Thats just a
smokescreen. How<BR>> about just showing compassion and bestowing dignity
on every person? And<BR>> when we mess up and do say something stupid, (and
we all do) why not<BR>> acknowledge our mistake and just apologize.
"I'm sorry and it won't<BR>> happen again, thank you for letting me know."
Wow what a concept.<BR>><BR>> Heather Jordan<BR>> ><BR>> >
-----Original Message-----<BR>> > From:
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com<BR>> > [</FONT><A
href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com"><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"
size=2>mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</FONT></A><FONT
face="Trebuchet MS" color=#0000ff size=2>]On Behalf Of lfalen<BR>> >
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 4:19 PM<BR>> > To:
vision2020@moscow.com<BR>> > Subject: [Vision2020] buffalo<BR>>
><BR>> ><BR>> > Re: Melynda Huskey's comment. It never occurred
to me that the joke<BR>> might be<BR>> > taken as racist. It was a
joke on upper management. I think you are a<BR>> little<BR>> > thin
skinned. I hve some Indian blood and it did not even cross my<BR>mind<BR>>
that<BR>> > it might be taken as
racist.<BR><BR><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>