I was reading an interesting article on the BBC news website recently that made me think, once again, about language and the way we use, or abuse it.
Mark Easton reported on the campaign by the Independent Asylum Commission to erase the word ‘asylum’ from its modern context.
The Commission chair is quoted in the report as saying "Unless we take action to restore public support and confidence, the outlook for the UK's tradition of providing sanctuary to those fleeing persecution is bleak."
"F4ck me" I thought, "a talking chair"
Misrepresentation of the, so called, asylum seeker has led to some pretty stark sensationalism on the part of the media. It's claimed that such ill informed reports have increased tensions to the point where racial abuse of political refugees is now seen as acceptable behaviour.
Whether you believe that or not, whether you’re a new world humanitarian or a bigoted nationalist, one fact remains inescapable; replacing the word asylum with the word sanctuary, will make not a speck of difference.
I'm certainly not going to be lighting the political touch paper or making any rash claims when I say that whether we call people who, for any particular reason, cannot live in their own country, refugees, asylum seekers, political prisoners, or anything else, it will not have the slightest bearing on how they are treated.
In some parts of Scotland and, dare I say it, England, Ireland and Wales, if you move in from the next village you are considered an outsider. If you move from the town to the country you are an 'incomer'. Even marrying into an insular community will not save you from being tagged a stranger.
The old 'white settler' tag carries as much weight as any racist jibe so to me, choosing a different name is, in itself, just pure lunacy.
Parliament actually replaced the word asylum in 1930 amid claims that lunatic asylum was inappropriate and that ‘hospital’ should be used instead. Given that today, such institutions are still referred to as asylums, loony bins or nut houses - I would say they failed.
However, political correctness does appear to be gaining the upper hand.
Strange isn’t it, the way words get nudged around in the old bally table of modern language.
If we don’t like a particular word we can simply choose a synonym but we need to be careful in case we offend the tender sensibilities of our beloved leaders.
Coming back to the opening statement about the talking chair, ok, this is in fairly common use, but it's clear that language isn't just changing course to suit the current climate, it's being hi-jacked.
I freely admit I am as guilty as anyone else when it comes to misuse of language – my over use of the F word is probably only paralleled by Gordon Ramsay (and possibly the Gallaghers) – but the choice of words in that opening paragraph is from Mr Easton’s report.
I am an engineer working in a factory where the F word is a technical term.
'Sorry mate, your motor's f4cked'
Mark Easton is a journalist, respected as an upholder of truth, working for the BBC.
Why ‘chair’ and not ‘chairman’ or ‘chair person’.
Maybe it's me.
May it actually was a talking Parker Knoll.
Maybe I need a bit less of 'what I can't see I don't believe in'...
...that's another subject for another day.
Whether we like it or not, our language is changing.
So many words or phrases are becoming unacceptable for fear of causing offence.
Take someone of African or Afro-Caribbean origin.
Obviously, there are some strict taboos, but the official term ‘black’ has always puzzled me.
I’ve never come across someone who was actually black, no more than I’ve ever come across someone who was actually white so this leaves the quandary of what to call the black guy or the white guy. Amidst all the political correctness, here’s a novelty, why not just call him by his name.
This runs both ways though, with as many new terms being introduced.
The computer age, with its use of jargon, has changed our language for ever.
Worse than that though, is the teening of our language. Dumbing down to the lowest common denominator. ‘Friends’ syndrome.
I was pleased to see my North East compatriot, Fiona Leith touched on the subject in her newspaper column last weekend. I was beginning to think it was just me.
The total Americanisation of our language has given us terms like, ‘I’m good’, 'and I was like', ‘you’re so fired’, ‘that’s so lame’ and ‘that shirt is so gay’ none of which actually say anything.
As for gangsta and chav speak?
'Just don't even go there'.
OOOOPS!
As well as providing us with a grammatical paradox, these are just plain stupid, yet they creep insidiously into common use.
They may sound like the epitome of cool in an American sitcom or the latest US teen drama but when you transpose them, ‘I’m good’ doesn’t ring the same in a slow Glasgow drawl, or in a lilting Dublin accent any more than ‘you’re so fired’ sounds as effective in Newcastle as ‘ Howay man, yer fookin sackt ye bastaad’.
Hearing, as I do, the range of local accents trying to mimic cafe culture, it does nothing for me at all. I don’t find it attractive in the opposite sex and I certainly don’t find it cool.
Accent and dialect, now that’s a different thing altogether (resisting the urge to say ‘whole different ball game’ there). Accents are wonderful, especially when written, colloquially.
Recently reading one of Irvine Welsh’s books, in which the dialogue was written in the colloquial tongue of east Fife, I was reduced to tears of laughter.
Yes, it was difficult to read but, having an appreciation of the language in that area, I found it nothing short of hilarious.
I’m all for keeping language dynamic but it needs to have some context.
Let’s face it – Fun Boy Three would not have had a hit with ‘The Slightly Unstable Individuals with Challenged Sensibilities Have Taken Over the Hospital for Those Who Are a Threat to Themselves and Society’
And nowww! Laydeez an gennelmennn! Theee momenn you've aawwwl bin waidin fawr! From the miracle that is the personal cohm-pyoo-terrr, as if by magic...
Fun Boy Three - Fame
http://rapidshare.com/files/119260187/Fame.rar
which gives me an excuse to post this great album from Terry Hall...
Colourfield - Virgins And Philistines
http://rapidshare.com/files/119243063/Virgins_And_Philistines.rar
Since we're talking about language, some of our best modern poets...
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Making History & Forces Of Victory
http://rapidshare.com/files/119221016/Making_History.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/120097400/Forces_of_Victory.rar
from the bard of Salford himself...
John Cooper Clarke - Very Best Of John Cooper Clarke & Snap Crackle & Bop
http://rapidshare.com/files/119236571/Very_Best_Of_John_Cooper_Clarke.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/120089471/Snap__Crackle_____Bop.rar
...to the bard of Lochee...
Michael Marra - Silence & Pax Vobiscum ( apologies for the quality - will repost if I get a better recording)
http://rapidshare.com/files/119223481/Silence.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/120116443/Pax_Vobiscum.rar
...and finally the one and only Mr Lovepants...
Ian Dury And The Blockheads - New Boots And Panties
http://rapidshare.com/files/120106680/New_Boots_And_Panties.rar
and the rest, just good tunes...
Eddie & The Hot Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do
http://rapidshare.com/files/119248239/Do_Anything_You_Wanna_Do.rar
Bob Marley & The Wailers - In Concert
http://rapidshare.com/files/119202412/In_Concert.rar
LAU - Lightweights And Gentlemen
http://rapidshare.com/files/119212760/Lightweights_And_Gentlemen.rar
Luka Bloom - Riverside
http://rapidshare.com/files/119216660/Luka_Bloom_-_Riverside__1990_.rar
Tom Robinson Band - Rising Free
http://rapidshare.com/files/119222474/Rising_Free.rar
Skids - Live - Masquerade Masquerade
http://rapidshare.com/files/119228367/Skids_Live_-_Masquerade_Masquerade.rar
Martin Stephenson & The Daintees - Gladsome, Humour & Blue
http://rapidshare.com/files/120125709/Gladsome__Humour___Blue_1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/120134883/gladsome_humor_blue_pt_2.rar
Enjoy
Hooli
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
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4 comments:
Hi, Hooli, first time reader and commenter, here, found my way to you from the Freeform Farm blog. I'm enjoying reading your writing and checking out some of your music. I live in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. I've been a Tom Robinson fan since being introduced to the Power in the Darkness album in college in 1979 or 1980. I'm curious about the "Rising Free" post - is that the EP from Power in the Darkness? It's got 6 tracks, numbered 14 to 19. Just wondering! Take care.
KLF
Thanks for dropping by and for commenting.
Well spotted on Rising Free post.
What actually happened there was that it came the same folder on my hard drive as power in the darkness and therefore the sequential numbering started at 14.
It is the Rising Free EP from around 78. Came out before (I think) Darkness. Think I ripped it from the original 45 and then added Winter of 79 from an album I had (it is from the same gig)
If you're interested in Tom Robinson, dig back and you'll find a few other uploads. Sadly, a lot of what I had is now gone and the rest is on vinyl.
Also worth a listen is his show on BBC radio 6.
Cheers
Hooli
Thanks for coming up with more of the excellent Michael Marra, Hooli.
I'd been interested in him for a while, but he proved to be hard to find on the internet. As a matter of fact, you're my only source of MM, so keep 'em coming, but if you haven't got any more MM, just carry on posting the kind of music you like to post,which I find interesting & instructive, and carry on with your writing, for which the same two adjectives seem to be apposite.
Cheers & thanks.
Ericbkk,
Thanks for your comments.
Yeah the bard of Lochee is a bit of an elusive character.
I'm pretty much at the end of the line with what I've got.
I'd love to have gotten hold of some of the work he did with Liz Lochead but I haven't come across anything so far.
As for the internet - be as well give up.
I guess that's why I post some of the stuff I do.
Also of interest on the Marra front are the Hazey Janes who are a great Tennage Fanclubish jangly rock band with a couple of the next generation Marras in their lineup.
Look back to my earlier posts if you haven't found them yet.
Michael also recorded a few tracks on a Blair Douglas album, Beneath the Beret - these are included in the Gaels Blue upload.
Will definitely post anything else I find.
Thanks again
Cheers
Hooli
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