Back in January 2016 I wrote about a town in New York whose seal depicted what appeared to be a frontiersman throttling a Native American fellow. Critics called it racist and offensive, defenders said it portrayed an actual historical event, a friendly wrasslin' match between one Hugh White and an unnamed Oneida, a test of strength and manliness.
The seal looked pretty darn dubious, but Whitesboro residents were not phased and didn't want to change it. Well, national media coverage must have had an effect because less than two weeks later it was reported that the town and reps from the Oneida Nation were going to come up with a new seal.
Just a peek at the original:
I don't think one need be a "social justice warrior" to see why this seal is problematic. If I didn't know the story, I'd probably think it was satire. I mean, even the name...Whitesboro!?
Well, I'm a bit late (it was reported back in September) but they've finally come up with something that's basically the same image but a little more even-handed:
I think it's a good compromise. Sign o' the times.
Although now it's "case closed", you can still enjoy this witty bit The Daily Show did back when the kerfuffle was still causing noise....
Are all comments redacted or just the challenging ones?
ReplyDeleteWe don't remove comments because they are challenging. If you take a look you'll see plenty of comments challenging us, correcting us and sometimes simply insulting us. We leave 'em up. If the challenge has merit, we address the question and make changes if necessary. If it's merely trolling, we ignore it or respond sarcastically. If it's spam, we do delete it. I do delete comments from from one person in particular, but this stems from a personal conflict that had nothing to do with this blog. I'm not going to let someone vent their hate towards me on my own blog.
DeleteWhy do you ask? Have you had challenging comments not appear? I know sometimes Blogger can bug and comments for some reason disappear into the ether. It's happened to me on a few occasions.
So, simple answer is no, we don't redact or delete challenging comments. A look through the blog will demonstrate this to be true.
If you made a comment and it disappeared, by all means, re-post it. All we ask is that people try to be civil.
All of them are deleted. Every single one. I lose sleep at night because I stay up late looking for comments to redact. I will get to redacting yours soon. Thanks for your comment!!
ReplyDeleteAfter such knowledge, what forgiveness? Think now
ReplyDeleteHistory has many cunning passages, contrived corridors
And issues, deceives with whispering ambitions,
Guides us by vanities. Think now
She gives when our attention is distracted
And what she gives, gives with such supple confusions
That the giving famishes the craving. Gives too late
What’s not believed in, or if still believed,
In memory only, reconsidered passion.
You amputated the last line and dropped the rest of the stanza:
ReplyDeleteGives too soon
Into weak hands, what’s thought can be dispensed with
Till the refusal propagates a fear. Think
Neither fear nor courage saves us. Unnatural vices
Are fathered by our heroism. Virtues
Are forced upon us by our impudent crimes.
These tears are shaken from the wrath-bearing tree.