this is somethins i've been wanting to express in written form for at least the past 4-5 months. for some reason it's been a struggle to say it how i really want, but last night with tv noise of folks in times square counting down to 2010, it came to me (quite sloppily and chaotically, as you can see)...
the use of the term "community" in certain contexts can potentially lead to confusion as to what's being referred to. My community --what/who it consists of and entails--may not at all be the same as your community. What's even more important to understand than that is that the word, as it's used in a more general context to refer to a city or town does not necessarily or automatically encompass my community or yours or his or hers or theirs--meaning the actual community (neighborhood or section/side of town) that I, you, he, she, or they live in. This is especially the case when our more specified communities are made up of individuals of the same or a similar ethnic, economic, or social background. Especially, especially when past and present social actions by one particular group exhibit a complete and total disregard for individuals of a different group as though they, the different ones, were less than human or nonexistent.
the use of the term "community" in certain contexts can potentially lead to confusion as to what's being referred to. My community --what/who it consists of and entails--may not at all be the same as your community. What's even more important to understand than that is that the word, as it's used in a more general context to refer to a city or town does not necessarily or automatically encompass my community or yours or his or hers or theirs--meaning the actual community (neighborhood or section/side of town) that I, you, he, she, or they live in. This is especially the case when our more specified communities are made up of individuals of the same or a similar ethnic, economic, or social background. Especially, especially when past and present social actions by one particular group exhibit a complete and total disregard for individuals of a different group as though they, the different ones, were less than human or nonexistent.
my literal-mindedness usually causes me to pause and really consider what's being said when i hear local politicians and other people in power positions (or just people in general who i know live in a community that's nothing like the one i identify with) going on and on about "our community", "the larger community", "the needs of the community" or any of the other overly used phrases thrown out there i'm guessing to generate a sense of belonging among the people or to sound good on tv/radio.
when listening, i wonder," is what this person saying relevant to every specific community within the larger community that he/she is obviously talking about?"
i'm finding more and more that the answer is an emphatic NO, and that the person doing the talking is practicing inaccurate speech. somehow i feel that in many of these cases they know that they're excluding particular people when they're making certain points. and they don't care. and neither do i, really. it just disturbs me when the people who are being excluded from this very broad use of "community" don't know and can't see it.
peace!
peace!
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