Disaster - Off topic

Dan Shane danshane at bellsouth.net
Thu Sep 13 21:08:53 CEST 2001


Jonathan Markoff wrote:



> Please, all who wish to express anger, sadness and disgust about the
> homicidal bull**** done by those ******** on Tuesday, feel free to
> do so. A holocaust like the one we've lived to see is far more important
> than printed stories about some talking ducks and rhetorical questions
> about the true name of the mythical ancient city of Xanadu.


< remainder snipped>


And I reply:

You are geographically very close to the subject, and I understand your
pain.  You have been deeply hurt, and you did not deserve it.

But please realize that offensive language is an assault on the very people
you are trying to join in sympathy.  You can make your point just as well
with more carefully chosen vocabulary that befits the intelligence of
yourself and your readers.

I was properly chastised by a fellow DCML member for responding to this
off-topic thread, and here I am doing it again.  But please realize that I
am just as displeased with what has happened as anyone else -- but
responding in kind will not fix anything.  Perhaps we need to pick up an old
comic and get a little humor back in our lives to prove that, while we are
not ignoring or approving what has happened, neither will we let it kill our
enjoyment of life.

Barks managed to teach me many wonderful things through his words and
pictures, including how I should view other cultures.  And he did it all
with wholesome language.


Dan Shane
(danshane at bellsouth.net)






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