So some of you may remember a graphic I posted last week on Facebook that mashed the OQLF and the new Google Word Lens Translator app. If you didn't see it, here it is on Facebook:
It generated some buzz and discussion, which was mostly positive and constructive. I was also called a bigot, told to "f off", and got unfriended by a couple of people. That's fair, I suppose. I don't enjoy being called a bigot, but if you don't like my politics or my sense of humor, then by all means, remove me from your feed. It's your Facebook experience, so do what you have to do.
For the record though, I must state that I do believe that the French culture in Quebec deserves to be preserved, nurtured, and allowed to thrive and evolve. I just don't think that the OQLF is the way to do it. If you want to preserve the art of dance, you can't just force everyone to learn the Charleston and expect dance to thrive. While some people will want to explore what other dance is out there, many people will resent the art of dance being forced upon them. What you want to do is invest in the dance community, allow it to evolve and develop, consume the art that is generated, and make it accessible to as many people as possible.
If it's important to you that Quebec culture should be preserved and allowed to thrive, you either need to personally invest in art and culture that reflects Quebec's cultural identity, past, present, and future, or you pressure government to fund it. Either way, this will allow Quebec art and culture to thrive in a way that can make it easier for the greater population to discover and learn from it.
If you truly believe that preserving Quebec culture is important, prove it by honestly answering at least two of these questions, ordered according to intensity (without looking them up on Google):
1. Name 3 to 5 French Quebecois artists (any genre) whose art you have consumed (purchased) in the last year.
2. Name 3 to 5 French Quebecois artists (any genre) who you know has released their art to the public in the last year.
3. Name 3 to 5 French Quebecois artists (any genre) whose art you have consumed (purchased) regularly in the past 5 years.
4. Name 5 Quebecois artists (any culture, any genre) whose art you have consumed (purchased) in the last year.
5. Name 5 Quebecois artists (any culture, any genre) who you know has released their art to the public in the last year.
6. Name 10 Quebecois artists (any culture, any genre) whose art you have consumed (purchased) regularly in the past 5 years.
How did you do? If were able to answer these questions truthfully and easily, then the artistic cultural community in Quebec thanks you for your support. They would not be able to do what they do without you, and you are actively nurturing Quebec's cultural identity.
But if you profess to value Quebec culture and art and yet you struggled with these questions, then I would suggest that you may not be really valuing Quebec culture in a way that is constructive and supportive. Culture and Art need to be supported and nurtured actively, not abstractly. You should be consuming it substantially and in a way that invests and supports the artists that produce it, which in turn, sustains Quebec's cultural identity.
Until you can honestly make this statement, you are not supporting your words with action. If there is any threat to the preservation of Quebecois culture, you may be actively contributing to its threat and demise.
In addition to personal support and investment, the Quebecois government should be doing more to support the community and contribute to its evolution and development. With government support, the arts and culture can then be made accessible to the general population, who in turn, consume it and support the artists, which allows the Quebec culture to survive and thrive.
Rather than having a narrow definition of culture being forced upon the populace, you can widen access to the culture that is already thriving and allow it to be celebrated.
SIDE NOTE: A few years ago, I was on a Facebook group for people who felt that Anglo language and culture was under attack in Quebec. When I asked these people these same questions but for Quebec Anglo artists, none of them could honestly name anyone local that they supported. I left the group soon after. Supporting our cultural and artistic pioneers is a problem for both Solitudes.
Showing posts with label opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label opinion. Show all posts
Monday, May 26, 2014
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Valuing Heroism
I've been pondering a recent news piece in the States about a couple of football players who are being charged with kidnapping and sexual assault of a drunk and passed-out girl. They allegedly found her unconscious from too much alcohol, picked her up, and dragged her to various parties unconscious while sexually assaulting her. Personally, I hope that they rot in prison for their crimes.
Many people have expressed disgust with the people who witnessed this event and did nothing to prevent it. "If I had been there, I would've stopped those horrible people," is a paraphrasing of a popular statement. I question the sincerity of that declaration because Heroism is not valued in our society.
How is that possible, you say? After all, our media and culture celebrate the Hero. Every movie, TV show, and piece of music sing the praises of the Hero who swoops in and saves the day from the Evil Doers and their Henchmen. Everybody *loves* the Hero and wants to be the Hero. The problem is that being the Hero is only fun after the challenge is over and the success is ensured. While the challenge is happening, being the Hero sucks.
When an event takes place where you could step in and prevent it, stop it, or take a stand against it, most of us will freeze, not knowing what to do. It might also be that you just don't understand what is happening and you are unsure what action to take, and by the time you figure it out, the moment is passed and there's nothing you can do. There is also an unwritten rule, especially in urban areas, to not get involved. It's not your business, you don't want that kind of trouble, and you might get hurt, so just move on and let someone else take the risk.
Also, being the Hero is lonely. Unless you can get some support, it's usually the Hero against the world. The Hero needs to be confident that his position is the right one and that he is willing to put himself at risk (both personally and socially) to secure that position.
Remember the hockey riots that took place in Vancouver in 2011? People went on a mad, violent spree in downtown Vancouver. There were instances where Heroes tried to stand up against it and were met with violent resistance, sometimes resulting in hospital care. Watch what happens when these guys try to take stand against the destruction:
It's scary being the Hero. It puts you in harm's way and occasionally, you will get hurt or even killed. Most people don't want that kind of trouble, they stand idly by and hope someone else will do the right thing.
When I think about that incident in Texas, what would have happened if someone had taken a hard stance to defend the unconscious girl? I can see at least a violent confrontation between the Hero and the other football players and their supporters. And if the Hero decided to call for police intervention, I can see that there would be social backlash against the Hero, both privately and publicly.
I have a friend in Northern Ontario (let's call her Bora) who is being actively shunned by her community for being the Hero. She was at a party where a friend, who drives truck in the military, was intoxicated when he tried to get behind the wheel of his car. Bora tried to stop him, but he drove off anyway. He crashed his car into a tree, but miraculously, walked away from the wreck with only minor cuts and bruises. He returned to the party, but when he tried to leave again, Bora again tried to stop him. He shook her off and borrowed a friend's car and subsequently wrapped it around another tree. Bora then called the police and the ambulance to deal with the person, despite her friends insistence that she shouldn't. Now Bora is being shunned socially because her community sees her heroic act as irresponsible because the public record of his DUI put the guy's job in danger (I forget if he did lose his truck-driving job or not).
Bora did the right thing, but her Heroic action was not valued by her immediate community. Would she do it again? Knowing her, absolutely, and Gods love her for it. Does she regret her Heroic action? Knowing her, probably not. Did any of this make it easier to do the right thing? Definitely not, but we're all safer knowing that Heroes like her are out there and they should inspire us to be Heroes when we get the call.
It's within all of us to be these Heroes, but we need to practice Heroism. You don't need to jump into a hail of bullets to be a Hero, but walking away in fear not only weakens you, but it also weakens others. It doesn't need to be dramatic Heroism all the time: it starts with small actions, inconsequential gestures that can have huge impacts, not only on the people you help, but on yourself as well. You can take your stand, make your mark, and know that you did your part to make the world a better place.
The good news is that feels great to be kind, to be generous, and to know that your small gesture helped someone else. It can even be as small and personal as taking the time to notice and share beauty. In social media, it's trendy to share pictures. video, and commentary that exploit the worst of humanity. Your Heroism can express itself in simply not indulging in that kind of negative pornography, but rather sharing moments of positive and beauteous inspiration.
Your small acts of Heroism can also be contagious and inspire others to act on their Heroism. With enough practice, when the big moment comes for you to be a bigger Hero, it won't seem so impossible, so daunting.
Go on: give a little Love and get a little Love in return.
How is that possible, you say? After all, our media and culture celebrate the Hero. Every movie, TV show, and piece of music sing the praises of the Hero who swoops in and saves the day from the Evil Doers and their Henchmen. Everybody *loves* the Hero and wants to be the Hero. The problem is that being the Hero is only fun after the challenge is over and the success is ensured. While the challenge is happening, being the Hero sucks.
When an event takes place where you could step in and prevent it, stop it, or take a stand against it, most of us will freeze, not knowing what to do. It might also be that you just don't understand what is happening and you are unsure what action to take, and by the time you figure it out, the moment is passed and there's nothing you can do. There is also an unwritten rule, especially in urban areas, to not get involved. It's not your business, you don't want that kind of trouble, and you might get hurt, so just move on and let someone else take the risk.
Also, being the Hero is lonely. Unless you can get some support, it's usually the Hero against the world. The Hero needs to be confident that his position is the right one and that he is willing to put himself at risk (both personally and socially) to secure that position.
Remember the hockey riots that took place in Vancouver in 2011? People went on a mad, violent spree in downtown Vancouver. There were instances where Heroes tried to stand up against it and were met with violent resistance, sometimes resulting in hospital care. Watch what happens when these guys try to take stand against the destruction:
It's scary being the Hero. It puts you in harm's way and occasionally, you will get hurt or even killed. Most people don't want that kind of trouble, they stand idly by and hope someone else will do the right thing.
When I think about that incident in Texas, what would have happened if someone had taken a hard stance to defend the unconscious girl? I can see at least a violent confrontation between the Hero and the other football players and their supporters. And if the Hero decided to call for police intervention, I can see that there would be social backlash against the Hero, both privately and publicly.
I have a friend in Northern Ontario (let's call her Bora) who is being actively shunned by her community for being the Hero. She was at a party where a friend, who drives truck in the military, was intoxicated when he tried to get behind the wheel of his car. Bora tried to stop him, but he drove off anyway. He crashed his car into a tree, but miraculously, walked away from the wreck with only minor cuts and bruises. He returned to the party, but when he tried to leave again, Bora again tried to stop him. He shook her off and borrowed a friend's car and subsequently wrapped it around another tree. Bora then called the police and the ambulance to deal with the person, despite her friends insistence that she shouldn't. Now Bora is being shunned socially because her community sees her heroic act as irresponsible because the public record of his DUI put the guy's job in danger (I forget if he did lose his truck-driving job or not).
Bora did the right thing, but her Heroic action was not valued by her immediate community. Would she do it again? Knowing her, absolutely, and Gods love her for it. Does she regret her Heroic action? Knowing her, probably not. Did any of this make it easier to do the right thing? Definitely not, but we're all safer knowing that Heroes like her are out there and they should inspire us to be Heroes when we get the call.
The Good News
It's within all of us to be these Heroes, but we need to practice Heroism. You don't need to jump into a hail of bullets to be a Hero, but walking away in fear not only weakens you, but it also weakens others. It doesn't need to be dramatic Heroism all the time: it starts with small actions, inconsequential gestures that can have huge impacts, not only on the people you help, but on yourself as well. You can take your stand, make your mark, and know that you did your part to make the world a better place.
The good news is that feels great to be kind, to be generous, and to know that your small gesture helped someone else. It can even be as small and personal as taking the time to notice and share beauty. In social media, it's trendy to share pictures. video, and commentary that exploit the worst of humanity. Your Heroism can express itself in simply not indulging in that kind of negative pornography, but rather sharing moments of positive and beauteous inspiration.
Your small acts of Heroism can also be contagious and inspire others to act on their Heroism. With enough practice, when the big moment comes for you to be a bigger Hero, it won't seem so impossible, so daunting.
Go on: give a little Love and get a little Love in return.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Religious Discrimination
Technically, Pagans cannot suffer from religious discrimination because Paganism is not a religion. It is a type of spiritual belief, which then breaks down into many types of Pagan religions. Atheists also face discrimination in society and they have NO religious affiliation.
So expanding the religious discrimination laws seems inappropriate here. It would seem more fruitful to expand upon the Freedom or Speech rights to include Freedom of Thought.
However, exercising discrimination and prejudice is very human nature. Making sweeping statements about other religious people is the definition of prejudice. If you found out that the guy who owns the local hardware store is Pagan and (assuming he wasn't a jerk) you decide to buy all your nails at his store to encourage a local Pagan, are you guilty of committing spiritual discrimination yourself against the other Jewish, Christian, and Buddhist hardware store owners ("I don't buy my nails over there because they are not Pagan")?
People in our society are being discriminated against for all sorts of ignorant reasons: they are too fat, too old, too young, too male, too female, not gender-specific enough, not religious enough, too religiously fervent, too pretty, too plain, too many tattoos, too much pigmentation, etc. We make these judgment calls all the time, and sometimes its justified and sometimes it isn't. Do we really want to make this process a crime across the board?
Anti-Pagan sentiment is a real problem that our communities face, to be sure. Hateful discrimination of any kind is bad, but rallying Pagans together to fight religious discrimination seems too big a mountain to take on as the first target and makes the Pagan community an even bigger threat than it should be ("OMG! The Pagans are becoming ORGANIZED!").
If the Pagan community has a PR problem (and we all know it does), then maybe the Pagan community has to step out from its own closet and become more socially active outside of its own borders. If there is an charitable event in your neighborhood, make sure the Pagans show up to make a contribution. Organize events that are not only pagan-centric, but that are open to everyone, regardless of their religious affiliation. Be ready to answer difficult questions about your Pagan faith, but do so with charity and generosity of spirit rather than defensiveness and hostility.
If the Pagan community does enough good work in mainstream society, when people see discriminatory talk against Pagans, they will be able to say "Actually, the Pagans I've met are pretty good people. They believe some outlandish things that I don't agree with, but I know they are good people."
Education and positive experiences is how you reduce discrimination in our society. Creating stricter laws against discrimination does nothing to address the discriminative attitude in the first place, it risks intensifying that discrimination, and spreads more ignorance.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Snakes and Bladders: Celebrating All Snakes Day
Of course, there never have been any snakes in Ireland for St. Patrick to banish, and some believe that the snakes actually represent the Druids that were killed or the pagans and their beliefs that were replaced by Christian doctrine. Historians are quick to point-out that this cannot be true either since paganism was still quite popular a century after Patrick's death (Living Liminally, Patheos). I mean, just look at the timeline (quoted from Brian Walsh):
St Patrick died in 457CE.
High King Muirchertach mac Muiredaig, whose stories record him as having both priests and druids in his court, died in 534CE.
And Diarmait mac Cerbaill, the last High King to be inaugurated through pagan rites, died in 565CE.
The Uraicecht Becc, a legal text usually dated to the ninth century continues to give the druids legal status, though much devolved. By this point they were listed as one of the dóer-nemed or professional classes which depend for their status on a patron, along with blacksmiths and others, as opposed to the fili (often roughly translated as bard), who still enjoyed free nemed-status. [nemed is derived from a word meaning ‘sacred’].
The claim that Saint Patrick had banished all of the snakes and venomous creatures from Ireland was first recorded much later. Patrick’s own surviving documents and the oldest two hagiographies don’t mention this episode at all.
So when someone go on about saying Paddy destroying paganism, they are ignoring about half a millennium of Irish history; half a millennium of *pagan* history.
I would argue that the historical facts are now irrelevant compared to what the holiday means today to a modern audience. For those Pagans who cannot stand the idea of celebrating a Christian icon, there is even talk of replacing St. Patrick's Day with the Feast of Cú Chulainn (Facebook), the Celtic super-hero of Irish myth and legend.
At face value, the spirit of St. Patrick's Day has certainly been hijacked by boorish behaviour, but it's certainly not the only holiday in which that happens. Some people are happy to gloss over the surface of meaningful events while others can make the best of a holiday to appreciate it's deeper symbolism and meaning.
Let's take a look at the other seasonal celebrations we have and consider their excesses:
- For Summer, we have St. Jean Baptist Day and Canada Day.
- For Fall, we have Thanksgiving and Halloween.
- For Winter, we have Christmas/Yule and New Year's Day.
- For Spring, we have St. Patrick's Day and Easter.
What are we really celebrating in March? If you take a look outside, you'll no undoubtedly notice that the snow has mostly melted away and the days are sunnier. The Vernal Equinox is nigh, signalling the coming of Spring and Summer, a time of growth, rebirth, and warmth. After three months of darkness and cold, St Patrick’s Day is our moment to cast off the dark shroud of winter and welcome the warmth of the sun and the rebirth of nature.
From a pagan perspective, many modern-day pagans refuse to celebrate or even acknowledge this day. But just as our modern-day pagan pioneers attempted to reclaiming the word "witch", I should think pagans can attempt to reclaim the spirit of the Vernal Equinox celebration.
If St. Patrick's Day celebrates the day when the patron saint of Ireland seemingly drove all the snakes from Ireland, then we can celebrate "All Snakes Day": the day the Druids tricked St. Patrick into thinking the snakes had been banished.
But in the end, we Pagans welcome the Sun God and the Green Goddess with open arms, excited with what the warmer seasons have to offer in terms of their bounty and boundless possibilities. Just like the snake who sheds his outer skin, so do we shed our warm, protective clothing and feel the warmth on our faces and skin. We may even hoist a horn of mead or ale to share with our kith and kin, bringing family and friends together to make plans and celebrate the friendship that got us through the darker winter days.
So Happy All Snakes Day to you, fellow Pagans! Go out and revel in the heat that warms your snake skin. Moderation in all things is best, so I caution you to not indulge in it too much and be safe. In the meantime, I will raise a toast to you and yours while we enjoy the longer days together. As for St. Patrick? It's only fitting that we extend him some Irish hospitality for his special day if he'll lower his ash staff and share a pint or two with us.
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