home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
- Path: sparky!uunet!paladin.american.edu!auvm!UNIX.CC.EMORY.EDU!CCJN
- Return-Path: ccjn@unix.cc.emory.edu
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
- Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.9301212103.B12552-c100000@emoryu1.cc.emory.edu>
- Newsgroups: bit.listserv.xcult-l
- Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 21:57:05 -0500
- Sender: International Intercultural Newsletter <XCULT-L@PSUVM.BITNET>
- From: Joyce Neu <ccjn@UNIX.CC.EMORY.EDU>
- Subject: Re: Inauguration prayer
- In-Reply-To: <9301210825.AA27615@emoryu1.cc.emory.edu>
- Lines: 41
-
- Thanks for some of your comments on Billy Graham's prayer. Ruth--I don't
- hold a thing against Billy Graham for doing what he does. I'm sorry to see
- this symbolism, hollow or not, perpetuated.
-
- Ruth said: Those who don't believe in
- > them or just plain don't like them can tune them out. I don't think public
- > prayers really mean anything anymore in this culture anyway. It's kind of
- > pointless to become upset about something that's essentially hollow. "In God
-
- I take exception at 2 points above: 1) the notion that those excluded
- should just ignore the exclusion, and 2) that it's pointless to "become
- upset about something that's essentially hollow." Am I carrying this too
- far to say that many in our society have only become included because they
- have _not_ ignored the exclusion, and because they have not believed it
- pointless to become upset--and have taken positive, constructive action to
- change the situation?
-
- > itself uses "man" or "men" as an inclusive term for both sexes. So even
- > if he didn't mean to say it, he said it.:-) [just a linguistic quibble from
-
- "Man," "men," "he," "his," etc. are _not_ perceived as inclusive terms for
- both sexes by college women given a series of sentences to rate as
- including a) only women; b) only men; c) men and women. Female college
- students at Penn State Univ. given lists of sentences to rate clearly
- show that they do not feel included in such sentences as "Men work to
- better their lives" and other "inclusive" male generic terms. This study is
- reported on in a Master's thesis written by Joan de Foreest at Penn
- State--I'm sure there've been other studies as well. Traditionally male
- generic/inclusive language is no longer.
-
- But, to respond to others, I was thrilled with the inauguration as the
- beginning (I hope) of a return to a more caring, less materialistic
- American society. I was just sorry to see that this less materialistic,
- more caring society was begun with such conspicuous consumption. "Le plus
- ca change, le plus c'est la meme chose..."??? Seeing a President who gets
- up and sings to the songs I danced to growing up is just too groovy for
- words...!! And who is not afraid to make a fool of himself playing the
- sax. Nice to have a Prez. who may sincerely like people.
-
- Cheers,
- Joyce
-