Writing: Jae Geko on the power of words
A while back I ranted (not publicly) a bit about people who made the casual excuse of various types of fic (fan or pro) of "Well, it's just fiction. It doesn't mean anything." And while I am weeks away from the very cranky place that prompted that rant, my dissatisfaction with that world view remains.
Because words matter. Why do we have such a thing as 'freedom of speech' as part of the rights of every American, if words do not matter? Why do people get so angry about certain things being said - if words do not matter?
Why would people remember snips and phrases and entire passages from books about green men from other planets if the words of and about those green men were without weight, were dust, were nothing?
So it delights me to no end when Jae Geko asks a couple pointed questions here and starts a riot discussion here.
The discussion - and the discussions linked to - also raised for me the theme of causes and involvement. About what things we decide are unacceptable, what is worth fighting for and what must simply be endured. And how much misery/injustice/evil/day-to-day-life-on-the-planet one can decide to ignore, without, in effect, surrendering any claim to the mantle of Christ - or humanity, for that matter. And so, when I tolerate not only the attitude that 'well, me saying so/writing this doesn't matter (and besides which, it's my right to do so!)' but the thing, the not-good but not-weightless thing which was written or said...what am I doing?
Which is a thought for another time, because I'm just not up for that much introspection this morning.
Go read Jae's threads. Good thoughts there.
Because words matter. Why do we have such a thing as 'freedom of speech' as part of the rights of every American, if words do not matter? Why do people get so angry about certain things being said - if words do not matter?
Why would people remember snips and phrases and entire passages from books about green men from other planets if the words of and about those green men were without weight, were dust, were nothing?
So it delights me to no end when Jae Geko asks a couple pointed questions here and starts a riot discussion here.
The discussion - and the discussions linked to - also raised for me the theme of causes and involvement. About what things we decide are unacceptable, what is worth fighting for and what must simply be endured. And how much misery/injustice/evil/day-to-day-life-on-the-planet one can decide to ignore, without, in effect, surrendering any claim to the mantle of Christ - or humanity, for that matter. And so, when I tolerate not only the attitude that 'well, me saying so/writing this doesn't matter (and besides which, it's my right to do so!)' but the thing, the not-good but not-weightless thing which was written or said...what am I doing?
Which is a thought for another time, because I'm just not up for that much introspection this morning.
Go read Jae's threads. Good thoughts there.