"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Saturday 23 September 2017

LANGUAGE AND OTHER SYMBOLS

T.V. In my house, is turned on later every day. Sometimes it's not on until eleven in the evening.

Today I turned it on at 3 in the afternoon and off  3 minutes later.

The lunatic was raving again. Complete with platform, flag and back drapes. 

It used to be enough to mute the sound and avert my eyes. Now I can't stand his image in my house. 

Who would have thought KimJung Un , Norgh Korean leader , might have won a measure of credibility ianywhere . Yet he has. He called the maniac, a dotard. It's a double insult.

 It refers to loss of mental competence through aging. The Korean leader is less than half the American's age. They've been angaged in name-calling for a while now. 

Americans in the writing business had to rush to dictionaries  to discover the meaning of the word, "dotage"

I doubt there's another language , including Latino, that doesn't have a direct translation of the word.

Americans claim English as their national language.

Today a topic is whether a football player disrespects the flag by kneeling in one knee during the national anthem. 

In liturgical circles it's called genuflexion. It can't be otherwise interpreted. On entering the church, Catholics dip fingers in holy water and make the Sign of the Cross. Before entering the pew they genuflect with bowed head, men uncovered, in the presence of the Eucharist.

Call it what you will, kneeling  on one knee , with cap in hand, is not a disrespectful gesture. 

To me , it appears players have found a way to protest without disrespecting the national anthem. 

Instead if standing to attention conforming to military style, They bow in reverence,  in exception
to military style. The police are a para-military organisation. 

It needs no explaination. 

It's a simple physical gesture . Not an intellectual manoeuvre .

But then, no sensible person has ever suggested America's  Braggadocio-in-Chief is capable 
of discerning the difference. 

Even before he reached dotage. 

Kim Jung Un has provided him with an excuse. 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I say we put them both in a room and let them go at it. I'd miss one day of The Young and Restless for that show.

Anonymous said...


Have to stand with the President on this one. You stand tall and proud as your country's anthem is played. There is no place for protest or making personal statements. You don't "stand" with others who choose not to stand.

There is no comparison with what folks do in their church. In fact, many both kneel and stand at the appropriate time when at their place of worship. But even if they stood on the roof it would have no significance to this issue.

Big men making big salaries. Owners and others doing better without getting their brains and bones knocked around.

Stand proud for your anthem or get the hell out and find the right forum to protest.

It will only take a small backlash,(read drop in revenue from advertisers, ticket sales and closed circuit etc.)and presto, everyone will snap to attention.

Anonymous said...

Let me guess, 14:15; you're white, right?

Anonymous said...

14:15
The National Anthems were never played at sporting events until sometime during the WWII years. There is no need for them to be played at all. In the society we live in now with multi-nationals playing and attending games, playing one or two anthems is an insult to everyone else.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 14:15, and I'm Asian. Does my opinion count?

Anonymous said...

Wow! We can't play the national anthem without people getting offended or insulted? What the hell is going on in this world??