Jazz for aficionados
While you guys are ironing things out, I'm going to enjoy some "indigenous people's music". As you pointed out Rok, she's not "Native American", but she's indigenous to Norway; although if I'm not mistaken, this music is Native American. I don't think "Eagle Brother" was Norwegian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kprl0CECykA Right now I'm shuffling my feet to the beat, can you dig it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kvTNbc8d5s Enjoy the music. |
jazzcourier, I have a great deal of respect and admiration for your knowledge of jazz and its history; and, I certainly respect your writing chops. However, I believe you are taking this matter way too far. First of all, unless you have followed this thread closely since its inception, you cannot have a good sense of the communication and writing styles of its active participants so as to keep comments that are made in their proper perspective. The phrase that you object to has been used, rightly or wrongly, many times on this thread and there has been no indication that it has ever been used with any kind of racist intent. I realize that you may feel that the phrase that you find offensive is offensive under any circumstances and in any context. However, you have no way of knowing what is in the heart of the person who uses what is a fairly common phrase that, while possibly and rightly considered insensitive, is not necessarily anything more than that in the heart of the person using it. Likewise, I don't know you personally and know you only from your interesting and educated commentaries on jazz so I have no way of knowing what is in YOUR heart; so, the following comments are not directed at you personally and are simply an expression of my skepticism as concerns reaction to this kind of "negative activity". Political correctness run amuk has become a kind of cancer and an opportunistic tool to, ironically, stifle freedom of expression. Moreover, experience has shown me that, especially as concerns racism, those who see racism at every turn are sometimes, in fact, the worst racists of all. Again, this is only an explanation for my skepticism and a plea to not make possibly unfair assumptions and is nothing directed at you personally. Now, you made your feelings known and admonished the use of and the person who used the phrase and demanded an apology. It was made clear that no apology was forthcoming. Then you escalate matters by taking the issue to the "authorities". This begs the question: did you escalate matters because you found the behavior even more offensive than you first did, or did you escalate matters because Rok would not apologize? Considering that you had no way of knowing whether he would ever use the phrase again, then escalating matters because there would be no apology is uncalled for. Who, then, would be playing "security guard on duty"? Additionally, if per chance the "negative activity" you refer to is the comment about talking about "the origins of black music and slavery", you should know that those two topics have been the subject of very intense and interesting discussion on this thread and it has been done in nothing but the most positive and respectful way; even when there has been disagreement. Since you have not been a part of those discussions you would not know that. Just one more reason why proper context and restraint in jumping to conclusions is so important. I strongly urge you to reconsider escalating this matter and I look forward to more of your interesting comments about the music. |
