FRIDAY NIGHT DOG BLOG – SPIRIT OF PLACE November 8, 2008
Posted by wmmbb in DOG BLOG -.trackback
To reclaim our colonized political spaces,
we must reclaim our colonized cultural spaces.
Lots of solid granite around here:
A set of attitudes:
Dexter could be looking at the Pacific, or at least in its direction:
Sasha’s sidelong glance:
“Sometimes the rain comes. . .”
The sources of pleasure can be mysterious:
Climb the hill and go home:
And sometimes the clouds pass:
The clouds change and so do the emotions:
Dexter without the blue harness:
Sasha glad to be in her cool, blue pool:
Out here nothin’ changes, not in a hurry anyway
You feel the endlessness with the comin’ of the light o’ day
We’re talkin’ about a chosen place
You wouldn’t sell it in a marketplace, well
Well just a minute nowStanding on solid rock
Standing on sacred ground
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change are blowin’ down the line
Right down the lineRound about the dawn o’ time, When dreamin’ all began
A croud o’ people came
Well they were looking for their promised land
Were running from the heartof darkness
Searching for the heart o’ light
Well it was their paradiseBut they were standin’ on – solid rock
Standing o-on sacred grou-ound
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change were blowing cold that night
OhThey were standin’ on the shore one day, Saw the white sails in the sun
Wasn’t long before they felt the sting, white man, white law, white gun
Don’t tell me that it’s justified, ’cause somewhere, someone lied
Yeah well someone lied, someone lied, genocide
Well someone lied, oh, ahhAnd now you’re standing on – solid rock
Standing o-on a sacred grou-ound
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change are blowin’ down the li-ineSolid rock, Standing on sacred ground
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change are blowing down the line
Solid rock, Standing o-on sacred grou-ound
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change are blowing down the line
Oh-oh-oh no, NO-O
I love you opening, wmmbb, and Sasha in the little blue pool. How cute!
In reflection of the Nagel quote, at first I could not understand the use of “colonized,” as it often evokes images of oppression or an abruption from sustenance, often occupiers, leaving in its wake, devastation and a virginal governance which was perhaps more intact before colonization.
As I thought of term colony, I thought of people of the world as a cell from a common origin and then the quote became clearer. I also thought of a colony as a singular community which evokes oneness. This made sense. My thoughts, by the way, may have no relevance at all to the author’s ideas.
Here’s another thought. Can some words be rehabilitated?
Last question first. I suspect it is very difficult to rehabilitate words since the connotations dominate the usage of the word, even if the original meaning is not completely lost.
Colonization, and I think immediately of Australia and New Zealand, was consistent with the original Roman version, was fundamentally a form of military domination in which the cultures of the indigenous people were suppressed. For example, people were punished for speaking their mother tongues.
The song is interesting in retrospect, in that it was 25 years ahead of the Apology, so it is an example of cultural expression preceding political change. It is interesting, I think, to consider how that works.
Some days recently have been hot, although the weather has been up and down, but on warm days Sasha really appreciates coming back and lying in her pool. Dexter is not a big water dog. He is not the same tough guy he used to be.
Thanks for your comment Judith.
I agree about the rehabilitation of words. It’s like the word nigger. While there are many uses and connotations of this word, in the mouths of most there is no rehabilitation. It’s a fighting word. I do, however, think that calling it the “n-word” is a bit silly. But then again to have such an historically offensive word being bantered about in the media would not be something most would like to hear, besides the rap music videos that many young people listen to worldwide.
Funny thing, though, I don’t think white young people, for example, go around using the word, even in lyrics, though they buy most of rap music worldwide. It’s replaced with “bleep.” This seems slightly schizophrenic or at the least contradictory. The effort is appreciated, but I do not know what good it might do for these young people, black or white, in the long run. Maybe this is not the purpose. Perhaps pure expression is and those who feel the right to do so.
Certain words are on my personal banned list, but there is no point in using words whose purpose, and only purpose, is to hurt the feelings of other people. For me it is a question of courtesy, more than political correctness.
It is the fact that we have a multicultural society, and equally many of us do not understand other cultures and beliefs, even those that exist within ethnically described that might include us. We have to achieve social integration as well as the acceptance of differences.
“We have to achieve social integration as well as the acceptance of differences.” Nice!
Hi Mr. Wmmbb,
Thanks for posting the pictures. The pictures are looking increasingly green every week. Sasha looks cool in her tub. That picture of Dexter without the harness is really nice – he looks free:)
Your discussion reminds me of a question that CNN had asked its viewers – “Could someone from a minority community become the president in your country?” The question sounded funny to my long flappy ears – The most important political position here is the Prime Minister’s – and our Prime Minister is a Sikh (and so from a Minority community.) This is also true for Dr. Abdul Kalaam Azad.
Symbolically we’ve made a point, but what exactly does it mean at the grassroots? I guess that it has a different meaning for each one of us…and how we take our lives forward is a personal decision. Probably there isn’t a community that didn’t have to carry an unwarranted burden some time or the other in history; but then some people made a difference – people who refused to accept the norms set by others!
In fact, humans do it all the time – some set bigger and more visible standards; others set smaller and less visible ones, but whether or not we agree to give our tormentors the satisfaction of feeling a sense of misplaced megalomania, is our individual decision.
…there’s someone at the door…I need to go check! A dog’s life is hectic – I could do with a pup-assistant!
I’ll be back through the cat-flap!
Licks n Wags,
Oorvi
Good to hear from you again Oorvi.
I hope that means everything is OK.
Parliamentary systems are different from presidential systems – a different perhaps not appreciated by CNN. African Americans are a significant and distinct minority group in the US. There is nothing to stop any person from a different background becoming prime minister, as in India.
The most obvious group not represented in Parliament, although they have in the past, are Aboriginal people. The same lack of representation applies in the US with respect to Native Americans.
You are very busy Oorvi. I do appreciate your comments.
Things are better:)
You are absolutely right. In fact, even the way in which election campaigns are run is very different here. With elections around the corner, campaigning is just beginning! No dogs running for elections though.
I’ll wait for the FNDB pictures:)
Licks n wags,
Oorvi
Thanks Oorvi.
I had not realized that India would be holding elections again so quickly.
There is always the undecided question of the First Pup. I am following your form book on that.