Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Smells Like School Spirit or Be True To Your School Part II?

Reverend Peacebang, seems to have kicked off something of a snarkfest towards the Thomas Starr King School for the Ministry and does not approve of some of the responses from students of said school.

Now I have been a student at Starr King for what seems like forever. My work in Transylvania has delayed my graduation an extra year. You won't generally see me talk like a true believer, but I am fully in support of the work that the school is doing in terms of social justice. I will intentionally avoid using the shorthand terms that are used to describe this work here, because I know for some readers it would feel like you need a secret decoder ring to interpret.

For me the actual matter of dispute is fairly simple. If a person of color, especially an elder, suggests that a particular term is not the most inviting way to title or describe a gathering, I will take them at their word absent a good deal of evidence.

This is a reiteration of a point I have made here before. If someone tells you that a particular term is offensive because it was used as a slur against them or as part of a system of oppression, you generally don't have much of a case for trying to dispute it. This may not make for a perfect system, but to me, it is common (or sadly perhaps less common that I might want to think) courtesy.

This is much less fun than railing about political correctness or a rousing game of "poke fun at the hippies" but it generally has served me well.

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