Hug a Hoodie?
I've been pondering this Hug-a-Hoodie message from David Cameron ever since the media picked up on it a few days ago. I can see that it's a case of social inclusion and that all they want to do is blend in with us and not be stigmatised just by what they wear. Fair enough.
Well as it happened, I was lucky enough to find myself in a situation only last night when I could put this to the test. One of these so-called teenager "hoodies" decided to attack me for no apparent reason, which left me with a very upset girlfriend, a broken nose and about 2 litres less blood. Oh silly me, if only I'd hugged him instead! But my problem is one of timing: when exactly should I attempt this hug? Should it have been as he was insulting me? Or maybe just before the punch to my face, or perhaps just afterwards? Obviously the young fellow wasn't aware of my intentions to give him a loving hug, otherwise I'm sure he would have just left us both alone.
I could really do without being punched again over a simple misunderstanding. But you know what, I'm just not sure that Hugging a Hoodie is really for me.
August 1st, 2006 at 11:45 am
My opinion/my heart/my mind 30/07/06
R.S.V.P. / S.O.S. / A.S.A.P.
Defining free speech
1610 words
Dear Mr. Oxford:
Dear Perry Mason:
Hello… Is anybody home? The lights appear to be on…
Knock, knock
Who’s there?
Orange…
Orange who?
Orange you glad you’re still breathing?
Some would say yes and some would say no. So many are just trying to survive this living nightmare called ‘modern’ life. “Do this, don’t do that. Can’t you read the signs?” – classic lyrics from a classic 70’s band.
Are you “Just another brick in the wall”?
“My mama, loves me – she loves me. She get down on her knees and hug me. She loves me like a rock. She loves me like a rock, oh baby she loves me.” The music was so much ‘kinder’ then. I am just 40 years old and that’s the word I am searching for – kind.
p.779 Concise Tenth Edition Oxford Dictionary
kind: noun. 1. class or type of people or things having similar characteristics 2. character; nature – the trials were different in kind from any that proceeded them 3. each of the elements (bread and wine) of the Eucharist.
kind: adjective. 1. considerate and generous 2. (kind to) not harmful to 3.archaic affectionate, loving
Origin: old English gecynde ‘natural, native’; middle English ‘well-born, well-bred’ whence ‘courteous, gentle’
Hmmm… bears some thought.
Humankind. Kind of says it all when properly defined in black and white.
Hmmm… free speech.
p. 406 £2.99 old paperback Oxford dictionary
free speech: noun. the right to express your opinions
Concise Tenth Edition Oxford Dictionary (hard cover)
“The foremost authority on English language”
“The world’s favourite dictionary”
“The World’s Most Trusted Dictionaries” – front cover of said dictionary
[scanning the first column of p.564 for free speech; free space… free spoken… no free speech(?)]
p.564 Concise Tenth Edition Oxford Dictionary
free spoken: adj. archaic speaking candidly and openly
My dear Mr. Oxford, speaking candidly and openly can get me arrested and has got me cautioned as a serious organised criminal while curiously, the noun free speech no longer appears in your most recent dictionary(?) and is barely exercised in English society since Tony the Toad tried to ‘grinch’ it through his ridiculous SOCPA legislation, specifically section 132-137, enacted by section 138; his feeble attempt to shield himself and his political cronies from public protest regarding his asinine actions in collusion with Bushy Boy from across the pond, amongst other well known war criminals and war mongers. WTF mate? Also, while I have your attention, something else caught my attention on the exact same pages of both the ‘old’ and ‘new’ Oxford dictionaries I own.
p.406 £2.99 old paperback Oxford dictionary
Freemason: n. a member of an international order set up to promote fellowship and mutual help, with elaborate secret ceremonies
Freemasonry: n. [no written definition offered (?)]
Cool – I don’t much like secrets nor secret societies; rather reminds me of Aleister ‘creepy’ Crowley and the Golden Dawn – regardless. I am not into Satanism/evil.
p.564 Concise Tenth Edition Oxford Dictionary
Freemason: n. a member of an international order established for mutual help and fellowship, which holds elaborate secret ceremonies
Freemasonry: n. 1. the systems and institutions of the Freemasons 2. instinctive sympathy between people with something in common
What exactly is this secret something that Freemasons hold as a uniting bond? What is the secret that so many in positions of power share? Something is an unspecified or unknown thing – singular; a thing in common – an action, an activity, a secret, a concept or a thought. Is it an inanimate object that every mason owns? Highly unlikely.
Mr. Perry Mason, what is your ‘thang’? What unites y’all? What’s the secret to your ceremonies? ‘You can only but ask.’ – a very wise Irish woman taught me the importance of that phrase. It reminds me of the words to the song ‘Lean on me’. (I adore Bill Withers and his music.)
“…For no one can fill those of your needs that you won’t let show. I’m gonna’ call on you brother when I need a hand; we all need somebody to lean on. I just might have a problem that you’d understand…” I always think of this song as a prayer when I sing it.
Does your secret have anything to do with the noun and God given right of free speech being removed from p.564 of the Concise Tenth Edition of the Oxford Dictionary? Just a thought. Both definitions appeared on the same page in the reality of the Oxford dictionary of days gone by and the situation being in today’s present day modern reality, is, the noun Freemasonry has gained a written definition while the noun and right of free speech has been removed/omitted/deleted from the exact same page, only to be replaced by an adjective that is not a right by definition. I am simply stating and questioning the obvious.
I do not accept the loss of the definition of the right of free speech from your dictionary, Mr. Oxford, nor from English society, Toady: ‘less speed, more haste.’ The same clever Irish woman taught me that one too. Are you paying attention Toady? Mr. Perry Mason, what is this instinctive sympathy or fellow feeling between masons?
instinctive: adj. related to or prompted by instinct
instinct: n. 1. an innate pattern of behaviour in animals in response to certain stimuli 2. a natural or instinctive way of acting or thinking 3. a natural propensity or skill
[part of who you are; part and parcel of how you act or think – thinking often reflects into action; a natural propensity or skill]
sympathy: n. 1. feelings of pity or sorrow for someone else’s misfortune 2. understanding between people; common feeling
fellow feeling: n. sympathy based on shared experiences
Something intuitive; something you all have in common; based on a shared experience – a common way of thinking and acting. I don’t give up. What’s the ‘coo’ Mr. Perry Mason? I believe it involves some form of sympathy.
Personally, I have always loved the word empathy; in fact, greatly preferred it over its counterpart of sympathy. An old Navy sea dog taught me that ‘sympathy’ is in the dictionary “right where it belongs – between ‘shit’ and ‘syphilis’”. Instead of feeling sad for someone and looking down your nose while you do nothing, humanity should feel for and understand her fellow man – empathy – which should lead humanity into action; that’s what emotions are for.
The word emotion stems from the Latin verb motere: to move; motivate. Emotions are meant to lead the body into action(fight or flight response, mating), not apathy which is controlled through greed and fear – advertising and the news. Sympathy can drain you while empathy can empower you. Empathy is a noun meaning having the ability to empathize – a verb, an action.
empathize: v. understand and share the feelings of another
Understanding is always important in my mind. Sympathy can be an understanding between people or a common feeling and the primary definition of sympathy is feelings of sorrow for another’s misfortune. To sympathize is to feel or express sympathy which appears directly linked to misfortune whereas empathy is understanding and sharing the feelings of another without any directed link or specific ties to misfortune or feelings of sadness or sorrow. Sharing joy is amazing!
A common feeling of pity, a shared understanding based on shared experiences – eugenics keeps popping into my mind, for some odd reason; a Darwinian selection of the fittest complete with a modern day fight or flight response: today’s refugees fleeing their homeland and armed nationals, men and boys, defending and protecting their homes and families from foreign invaders; sometimes even daring to retaliate!
p.491 Concise Tenth Edition Oxford Dictionary
eugenics: plural noun (treated as singular) the science of using controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics in a population eu + gen + ics
eu: Greek ‘well’
eus: Greek ‘good’
gen: Greek genes ‘born’ of a specified kind
Greek gignomai ‘be born, become’
gen: biblical reference to Genesis
ics: suffix (forming nouns) denoting a subject of study or a branch of knowledge or a field of activity: politics
I spy with my little eye… the truth always comes to light. Considering the fact that eugenics was the predecessor to the Nazi train of thought, I find this rather kind definition of such an evil way of thinking – eugenics – highly offensive, personally. I will be writing my next paper on the pioneering of eugenics in Canada during the early 1900’s, before(?) the Nazi’s even existed, trust.
p.592 Concise Tenth Edition Oxford Dictionary
genocide: n. the deliberate killing of a very large number of people from a particular ethnic group or nation
Political eugenic thinking enables today’s genocide of the Lebanese children, the Palestinian children, the Iraqi children and the babes of many other nations; think about it for just a minute. Genocide is not kind. Nations are made up of children and families of varying ethnic groups. Genocide is innately wrong.
Hitler anyone??? Tony… you are a war criminal – many times worse!
Is humanity still humane?
Does free speech still exist Mr. Oxford?
What is your secret, Mr. Perry Mason?
This enquiring mind wants to know… just trying to understand my roots.
Anti copyright Charity Sweet defining free speech as the right to express your opinions; my apologies to Pink Floyd and the other artists I have quoted a few lyrics from – my heart is in the right place; sincere gratitude to Mr. Doug Russong – Grade 10 English , Dartmouth High School, who taught me to understand poetry and the importance of the 5 w’s