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Lincoln Brown, the 6th grade Chicago school teacher suspended for uttering the word "@!$%#" in class -- in the context of criticizing its use -- has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against his principal and the Chicago public schools, the Chicago Sun Times reported last week. Brown claims that he was taking advantage of a "teachable moment," conducting a discussion of racism sparked by inclusion of the word in a note passed between students. The school principal, however, accused Brown of verbal abuse, equating his utterance of the verboten word with "cruel, immoral, negligent or criminal conduct or communication" to his students.
Can Educators Ever Teach the N-Word?
Seeded on Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:34 AM EST
Article Source: The Atlantic — News and analysis on politics, business, culture, technology, national, international, and food – TheAtlantic.com
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Words are not incantations; they do not cast spells. They take their meaning and power from the contexts in which they appear.
Amen to that! It's people who give them life as the words by themselves, without cultural context, are just meaningless.
- 1 vote
#1 - Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:36 AM ESTwhen words are hidden by reducing them to a letter, we give them power that they do not need.
george carlin once had a monologue where he address the fact that there are no BAD words, just bad uses of words when improper attitudes were the motivation of their use.
- 2 votes
#2 - Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:19 AM ESTthere are no BAD words, just bad uses of words when improper attitudes were the motivation of their use.
Absolutely. It's man's emotions that bring words alive. Like the word 'gay'. In the past the meaning was simple: happy and jolly and carefree. Today, it has an entirely different connotation and meaning because new emotions are invested in it.
- 1 vote
LOL..I love it, beej. There's nothing more flattering than a little imitation! :o)
- 1 vote
Sad part is, if the teacher had been black, like the principal there wouldn't even be a story on it.
Had the teacher used in reference to a student yes, i can see him getting in trouble.
Using it as a time to teach the history and present context of the word to make students think before using it, no he shouldn't be disciplined.
- 1 vote
#3 - Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:02 PM ESTSad part is, if the teacher had been black, like the principal there wouldn't even be a story on it.
I think you may be right in this, but with these controversial cases, often there are hidden facets which only come out later on.
- 1 vote
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