good insults make good friends
Scottie Bowman (rbowman@indigo.ie)
Tue, 09 Nov 1999 07:36:18 +0000
'Chink' is, of course, a straightforward insult.
In this world where sincerity has been
so greatly debased I find that the only
relationships one can rely on are those
where affection & regard are normally
expressed in terms of abuse. I'm not much
interested in persons or groups of persons
who make a thing out of the way they're
addressed or referred to - except professionally
where I get paid to help people with that degree
of insecurity. And when it comes to condescension
I can think of few more ludicrous examples
than the voice of the liberal conscience
presuming to defend three hundred billion,
billion Chinese with a culture extending back
many thousands of years from the squibs
of an elderly, cantakerous Jock.
That, however, is one of the great attractions
of Bananafish for a poor angler with a rifle.
There's never any shortage of plump, speckle-
bellied, liberal consciences swimming around
in the barrel.
I wonder, TLM, are you wise to remind us
of the bare glories of the King James Bible?
Can you imagine, on his very, very best day,
the Sage of Cornish ever writing:
None shall be weary nor stumble among them;
none shall slumber nor sleep;
neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed,
nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
Incidentally, who(m) do we thank for this?
An ancient Jewish prophet, or a committee of
Anglican prelates, or - as I suspect - one unnamed,
individual Master?
Scottie B.