Sunday, February 13, 2011

So what's in a name?

Several people have commented on the fact that on occasion some of my words tend to have a slight sting to them. I have respect for their comments. I wish once and for all to clarify my position.
I could tone my words down but I think the message would lose a significant part of it's meaning.

Instead of calling an arsonist an arsonist (harsh word) I could call him or her a person who starts fire for fun or profit, sounds softer, but that would be many more words to write. I could call him a firebug, that sounds cute and innocent, but it looses some of the meaning. I could call a murderer a life reducer instead of assassin, butcher, criminal, cutthroat, but again some of the meaning is lost.

Remember " a rose by any other name would smell as sweet?" Of course this is an excerpt from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1660. It's meaning is, what matters is what something is, not what it is called.

I could call Al Sharpton a community organizer. That's sweet. He is much more. He is a person who has made a living stirring the pot of racism, hatred, and distrust for personal gain. He has lied and damaged persons reputations as with the Twaney Brawley case. He proposes new taxpayer funded programs to help the poor, yet he doesn't pay his own taxes. Last week it was revealed that he owes 3.7 million dollars in local, state, and federal taxes. Reverend Al prays every day that the lot of his people does not improve as that would put him out of a job. Will they go after him? Probably not. Will I continue to call a spade a spade? Probably will.

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