Organization: Queen's University at Kingston
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 21:17:47 EST
From: andy <2893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: "Feminazism" and "Holocaust"
Distribution: na

In article <1992Nov20.162628.8928@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>,
dschenke@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Dennis L Schenkel) says:

trying to post this to s.cj. from bit.listserv.catholic  if responding,
please add bit.listserv.catholic to the newsgroups, thanks.
>
>I must admit that there has certainly been a good dialog on the catholic
>newsgroup lately regarding this (mis)appropriation of the word "Holocaust,"
>and
>I have really found most of it interesting.  I threw my $.02 worth in rather
>early in the discussion because I was simply interested in the issues of who
>controls language.  In a graduate class I have been taking about literacy
>(covering social and political implications of language use), we have been
>discussing power and language.  Historically, people who try to oppress others
>often do so by limiting the oppressee's access to language.
>
>Examples:  In Europe, the language of scholars was Latin, and it acted as a
>way
>the lower classes out of the discourse.  In England, when the French conquered
>in 1066, the lower classes were kept out of political discourse partly by
>their
>language.  In the US South, slaves were first forced to give up their native
>languages, and then systematically denied access to reading and writing.  Even
>today, employers who spot spelling errors on a resume' throw the resume' in
>the
>trash and refuse to hire the person who does not conform to the arbitrary
>conventions of English spelling.
>
>With these issues on my mind, I was suspicious of telling us how certain words
>could and could not be used.  English teachers have been guilty of telling
>people what is right and what is wrong with their language for the past 200
>years or so since the first dictionaries and grammars in English.  English
>teachers, as a result, have a reputation for being oppressive.  People who
>tell
>other people how to use language have to be very careful.
>
>However, I have generally been swayed by most of the arguments that I have
>seen
>since my posting.  I still think that the loadedness of the word holocaust
>makes it very powerful, and its power should not be restricted for use by only
>one group.  However, I do see how its misuse, especially in the context of
>Feminazi, might be offensive.  I know how offensive the use of the word
>"Sacrament" is to me in the pro-choice slogan "If men gave birth, abortion
>would be a sacrament."  Maybe I am more offended by the implication that men
>are not able to be fair than I am by the appropriation of the word.  I dont
>know.
>
>My mother was not married when she became pregnant with me.  I consider myself
>a survivor.  Of course, I was born before Roe-v-Wade.  I had a student once
>tell me that she was adopted and that her biological mom was 17 when she gave
>birth to her in 1974.  She is truly a survivor.  If you'll check the history
>on
>Family Planning and Planned Parenthood, you'll find that its founder advocated
>birth control and abortions for specific populations, ie blacks, Jews,
>southern
>Europeans (read 'catholics'), and basically any of the races that weaken our
>nation because of their dimwittedness and low intelligence, etc.  It should be
>easy to see why opponents of abortion might make the connection between what
>happened in Europe under the Nazis and what's happenning today under the
>banner
>of NOW.  Like I said, I consider myself a survivor.  Maybe that's offensive to
>Jews...maybe we are infringing on some sacred turf.  Certainly something I
>will
>spend more time thinking about.
>
>Dennis Schenkel, Graduate Student    *****************************************
>Ohio State University, English Dept  * Pax Christi Vobiscum...  from one of  *
>dschenke@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu   * those who "...wait in joyful hope..." *
>    --My opinions are mine--         *****************************************
>--
>Dennis Schenkel, Graduate Student    *****************************************
>Ohio State University, English Dept  * Pax Christi Vobiscum...  from one of  *
>dschenke@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu   * those who "...wait in joyful hope..." *
>    --My opinions are mine--         *****************************************