tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239569862679528067.post225778263013349078..comments2023-10-18T01:52:22.751-07:00Comments on The American Dissident: Reactions to ReactionsG. Tod Slonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08298151154368372719noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239569862679528067.post-24920756861271520722009-02-28T05:39:00.000-08:002009-02-28T05:39:00.000-08:00The assignment to respond to me was optional and n...The assignment to respond to me was optional and not graded.G. Tod Slonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08298151154368372719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239569862679528067.post-1151257849040093952009-02-27T11:37:00.000-08:002009-02-27T11:37:00.000-08:00No clock tower or church on campus that I saw. St...No clock tower or church on campus that I saw. Still I had no excuse. Shit does happen, as they say, like it or not. Yes, it was an assignment for students, but an interesting or at least different one for a lot of them. Yes, they are young and some are quite perceptive. <BR/><BR/>Actually, I did end up removing that whole "retarded" sentence from the website because I thought it did not really add anything to that statement. <BR/><BR/>Kid gloves? Not really! At least, I don't think so. I treated them as adults, and they are adults. <BR/><BR/>God forbid, another "tire fire"! I had to laugh at that one. <BR/>Nevertheless, I do disagree with you. "Retarded" vs. "mentally challenged" is definitely, as you mention, a PC issue, but "complain" vs. "criticize" is not. The two words are not synonymous. "Complain" is much more pejorative, in fact, entirely pejorative, whereas "criticize" is much less pejorative. I think perhaps that student really meant "criticize" (hopefully meant) and not "complain." <BR/>"Complain" also tends to act like ad hominem, dismissing the criticism by denigrating it with a pejorative word. But you're right, it boils down to another question of semantics. However, it's a lot more than my simply not liking to be called a complainer, as you state. True, I do not like it, but only because I am not normally a complainer. I am a critic. And there's a world of difference, semantic or not, between the two. Complaining tends to be repetitive about relatively insignificant issues, as in the food sucks or it's raining again or he stuck his tongue out at me. Criticizing, on the other hand, tends to concern more important issues as in corruption in higher education or backslapping in the poetry milieu or change we can believe in but still we'll have lobbying per usual and pork.G. Tod Slonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08298151154368372719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239569862679528067.post-7957141951886446552009-02-27T07:34:00.000-08:002009-02-27T07:34:00.000-08:00Well, you're pretty good with these students, seem...Well, you're pretty good with these students, seems like... you've got your kid gloves on...It's kind of sweet...<BR/><BR/>One thing I did notice (not to start a tire-fire here) was when the girl made the comment about being offended by the word "retarded". Now, I'm in total agreement with you about it, it's just a word that has fallen out of fashion, and anyone who is offended by it is obviously completely entrenched in PC terminology, but, later on you tell someone to watch their words, and say "criticize" instead of "complain". To me it is the same matter of semantics. A complaint can be a criticism and vice-versa. It's a non-point. You just don't like being called a complainer, it's a word that doesn't sit well with you, just as "retarded" and "nigger" don't sit well with others. But, to simply avoid using the word or to change the word, even to something ostensibly more accurate, does not eliminate the problem, or the sentiment.matherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16530161108492070300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239569862679528067.post-19524089865372063252009-02-27T07:16:00.000-08:002009-02-27T07:16:00.000-08:00Doesn't the campus have one of those old church-to...Doesn't the campus have one of those old church-tower clocks that gongs, every fifteen minutes? I'm just giving you a hard time about it, but seriously if I was a student I probably would have split. I'll read the other comments right now, I liked the others, though it's clear to most of them the whole thing (looking at the web site, listening, writing comments) is an assignment and they're just trying to say something that sounds intelligent. Whatever, they're young, and some of them are pretty perceptive I think.matherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16530161108492070300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239569862679528067.post-2846786354955897722009-02-27T07:10:00.000-08:002009-02-27T07:10:00.000-08:00Yes, I had to hang my head in shame! But I did ap...Yes, I had to hang my head in shame! But I did apologize. The odd thing was that I had to hang around campus for over four hours waiting for four o'clock, since I had shown up for the 9:30 class to speak to students. It's over one hour by car. Showing up late was thus definitely not purposeful. I just added more student comments.G. Tod Slonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08298151154368372719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239569862679528067.post-19627194803266849252009-02-27T06:10:00.000-08:002009-02-27T06:10:00.000-08:00I can't believe you were late to the speaking enga...I can't believe you were late to the speaking engagement!matherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16530161108492070300noreply@blogger.com