morgan schatz blackrose

obscenities

It's all right for Billy Connolly to say 'fuck' but it's not all right for me too. The reason for this is quite simple; I'm a woman and Billy Connolly, isn't. Billy's funny; I'm obscene. OK some people would probably reckon he was obscene too, but I don't. Why would I be offended by anyone with such a skilled use of the vernacular? Appropriately inserted expletives can flavour a conversation in much the same way the addition of spices flavour a curry. Some folks find a hot curry intolerable and others find a mild curry bland. But curries aren't gendered, and herein lies a major difference between infusing a conversation with curses and a curry with spices.

Growing up, I heard my father swear regularly, but he never said 'fuck' or 'cunt' in the presence of women and girls. I was subsequently shocked when I learned from the son of my father's friend, that his language was peppered with these words. But he never spoke them in the house. I learned that they were 'Shearing Shed Words'; and when I was a kid, shearing sheds were men's places, except at smoko, when the women brought over the tea and biscuits. Needless to say that then, the men were too busy eating, drinking and smoking to say much at all.

By not using four letter words in the presence of women, men were showing 'respect' for them. Remnants of chivalry? Pity many of these same men didn't consider violence against women disrespectful, and even if they didn't batter their own wives, stand up to the men who did.

One of the reasons that men in Australia considered the 'public bar' in hotels sacred, was because they could swear to their heart's content, with the only women present being the barmaids, who often put up with more than the men swearing in their workplace. The move to allow the 'public bar' to be truly public, that is by allowing women to drink there, was met with a great deal of opposition from male drinkers. Australian pubs have had a history segregation, both of race and sex. Although discrimination is now illegal, offending patrons by posting racist and sexist images, airing pornographic videos and generally making it an uncomfortable place for women, is not illegal. An attitude of 'if you don't like it you can leave' is still pervasive in some establishments.

But is swearing, in and of itself offensive? I think this depends on the context and content. Any targeted verbal abuse can be offensive. I find the use of racist and sexist epithets offensive. I don't like seeing children subjected to an atmosphere of hatred, bigotry and violence, expressed either verbally or physically, whether or not swearing is used. Calling a child 'stupid,' or 'fucking stupid' has the same effect on the child; denigration. Saying you had a 'great' time or a 'fucking great' time, expresses the same sentiment, although I would add that sometimes people who swear repeatedly and unthinkingly, could do with some vocabulary expansion. But war, hunger and exploitation, often take place in this world with nary a profanity spoken; and that is a fucking obscenity!

#*!@*#

Filed under // australia language obscenity sexism war

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Glass Toilet and White Phosphorus

This whole social network thing has caused some anxiety over the past few weeks. I realised it was getting out of hand. No, this is not one of those stories where the kid hasn't eaten for days because mummy is too busy chatting on the computer with people on the other side of the world, to shop, cook or generally perform basic human functions. It's worse. I have realised that a single mosquito, is far more powerful than I am, and certainly more tenacious.

Perhaps I'd best explain. I was very suspect about joining FB three years ago, because I had been suffering anxiety for the previous year and was concerned that I would place myself in a stressful situation by recalling people from my past. I'm over 40. I've got no interest in school reunions or seeing what so and so is up to these days; much to my mother's amazement. Her insistence on passing on any and every bit of gossip that comes her way, about people who live in the town where I grew up is something that I have learned to accept. It makes her happy to be the bearer of 'news.' And one day, with a bit of luck, I too will be old, and probably text my daughter with similar 'news' that she has no interest in. Actually that's a lie; I hate texting. I'll write her long rambling letters.

To return to my fear.

So I took the leap and became a Facebooker. No skeletons came rattling out of my deep, dark past to terrorize me. I connected with the people I wanted to know. Most of my 'friends' on FB are actually people I know, to varying degrees. And there are one or two people who I have got to know a lot better and now consider them 'friends' even though we have not met each other.

I set myself rules for FB which help in the ongoing 'privacy protocols' the administrators of this social network are forever changing. It's a simple rule: there is no privacy! Think of going to the toilet in a glass cubicle. It doesn't matter if the door is shut, people can still see in. If you don't want anyone to see you wipe your backside, then go to another toilet; one that isn't transparent.

An interesting aside here is that I just posted an article on FB about the treatment and prevention of childhood diarrhoea in the world

http://7pointplan.org/preventing-treating-childhood-diarrhoea.

which shows that 1.2 billion people in the world practice open defecation. The results of this literal public shitting are of far greater concern than the embarrassing, boring or humiliating metaphorical shitting that can occur in social media. Adequate sanitation, safe drinking water as well as the promotion of good hygiene, are key components in preventing childhood diarrhoea, a major killer of the developing world's children.

This brings me to the importance of social media as a tool for education and the promotion of human rights. I use it for such, and yes I support causes and I sign petitions and I pass on information and .... am I being effective though?

Well that remains to be seen, but if I confer with the pragmatic, skeptic of the household, the answer is No. But I refuse to think I can't make a difference. I am like the mosquito. That annoying little monster that disturbs my sleep. So small and yet so effective and persistent. I joined G+ in the hope of finding a few more of 'my people.' Facebook is seen as the connector with your old friends and G+ with your new friends.

I did find them. Brave social activists, feminists, peace activists; all five of them. I admit to seeking educators and I found them too, but mainly 'techie' people or those only concerned with American education. Why don't they all just demand the US government follow in Finland's footsteps and be done with it? And surprise surprise G+ is dominated by North Americans; whose prime concerns are American domestic politics, cupcakes and cats. Save me from all three! (Apologies to the people who actually view G+ as a global communications network and don't think of the US as the world).

So I created another more radical persona, and managed to offend gun nuts and Israeli massacre supporters. These idiots engage in conversation with various calls to arms and attacks on my intelligence. Disturbing? Nothing more frightening than a combination of hate, self righteousness and weaponry. I call that a recipe for terror.

Do I want to waste my time and energy conversing with these sorts of men, the defenders of the indefensible. No amount of reasonable explanation, common sense, appeals for compassion and documented evidence is going to change the ideology of these people. They are not going to say, 'Gee I never thought of it like that. This is a violation of human rights and we should call for world disarmament and...'

I have believed that one small thing can make a difference, and used the mosquitoe buzzing around your room as you try to go to sleep to illustrate this point. But that effectively annoying mosquito has just been sprayed with white phosphorus, the chemical weapon of choice used by Israel in Gaza, and the United States in Fallujah. I don't stand a chance.

So where does this leave me in the social network scene? I've subscribed to the blogs of the good folk I've encountered on G+and I will contine to make forays into the circles of ' my people' there. I will keep in contact with my FB friends because many of them are friends and I'll write my blogs. However I will save my energy, passion and words for the kids I tell stories too. They are the hope for the future and perhaps they will look to the stories for guidance in creating and sustaining a just, humane and peaceful world.

Photo by Moriah Schatz

Filed under // Facebook G+ dysentery war white phosphorus

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Famines are caused by Wars

It's not our fault that there is an eight year drought in the Horn of Africa and farmers cannot grow any crops. We try and help by sending money to various aid agencies so that they can buy and distribute food to relieve hunger. We try not to look too closely at the images of starving children periodically shown on our TV screens. It's too upsetting. But it does serve to remind our own privileged children how lucky they are to be living here in the land of plenty. We become our parents and grandparents saying the stock phrase: Think of the starving children in... (substitute whatever African country is undergoing a famine at the time). We come to believe that tragic as they are, these famines are inevitable in African countries. We wonder why those poor people don't just leave and go to a country where the weather is more predictable?

It is convenient for the Western world to blame the weather for the famine in the Horn of Africa. We have little control over its machinations, often relegating it to the realm of fate or God or whatever belief helps us to rationalise it. But if you examine every famine that has occurred throughout the world, in the twentieth century, you will see that war was either a direct cause of it, or exacerbated by it. The Horn of Africa famine is no different.

Famines are created by wars and greed. It is convenient to put the blame for a war solely on the actions of countries where it is being waged. However, there are a number of countries and organisations who are involved in supporting the wars in Africa, and are thereby instrumental in causing the famine.

Their actions range from providing economic, political and military support for particular Somali or Ethiopian leaders, to the forced acquisition of farmers' lands. There are armaments manufacturers and dealers, overt and covert training of defence and guerilla forces and the sanctioning of death squads.

It is naive to think that a situation where ten million people are now at risk of starvation occurred overnight. We have known this is a possibility. History tells us so, even if our reasoning for why this is happening may have been faulty. But how am I responsible?

I didn't steal the traditional land that farmers grew their crops and grazed their animals on.

I didn't shoot the civilians who demonstrated for democracy, land rights and safety.

I didn't know about the death squads, government corruption or violence.

I didn't block food aid to the hungry.

But I have shares in the the companies that did.

I am a member of the organisations who did.

I patronised the groups who did.

I voted for the governments who sanctioned these actions.

I find it too difficult to comprehend, so I am ignoring it.

In these ways we are all responsible for the famine. But it is not too late to take responsibility for alleviating the plight of the victims of war and hunger?

Act with Compassion and Truth. Speak out about the role of your people or government in creating and sustaining the conditions for a famine to exist.

Investigate the most effective organisation for giving aid and examine what form it takes, particularly when aid is blockaded or stolen.

Lobby for an end to war and the business of war.

Peace is no mere matter of men fighting or not fighting. Peace, to have meaning for many who have known only suffering in both peace and war, must be translated into bread or rice, shelter, health, and education, as well as freedom and human dignity - a steadily better life. If peace is to be secure, long-suffering and long-starved, forgotten peoples of the world, the underprivileged and the undernourished, must begin to realize without delay the promise of a new day and a new life.

Ralph J. Bunche (1904 -1971) Nobel Peace Prize recipient

Photograph by Roman W. Schatz

Filed under // Africa famine war

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Glass Toilet and White Phosphorus

Famines are caused by Wars