This was a blog by the CEO of the company I work at. The response I gave follows.
Political Correctness
During this morning's senior management conference call, I used the word "niggardly" in a comment about a change EXCOM has made in the policy and practice regarding company-sponsored holiday events for staff members. I thought the events of 1999 in Washington, D.C., were widely enough publicized that the use of the word, which has its roots in medieval English, and occurs in the King James translation of the bible, has been confirmed as in no way related to the racial epithet that grew out of the Jim Crow era.
For those who aren't familiar with the term, or it's derivation, please view:
http://www.jacobsen.no/anders/blog/archives/2002/09/03
/american_political_correctness_the_word_niggardly.html
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-nig1.htm
http://www.adversity.net/special/niggardly.htm
Neither I personally, nor anyone at (this company) will condone discrimination based on race, nor tolerate the use of pejoratives in the workplace. However, in this instance, the similarity in pronunciation of a long-used and well-documented term that describes excessively parsimonious behavior, with the odious term shouldn't be a reason to not use it. The D.C. event, which ultimately ended in the re-hiring of the supposed offender, was hardly a high water mark in the pursuit of racial equality in America.
My Response:
I appreciate you bringing up such a subject. I would like to share with you my experience. In April of 1998, my wife and I (who are white) were present in the labor room, watching the birthmother, Elizabeth, (who is also white) give birth to our daughter Rebekah. We were told that Rebekah was half Japanese. Within 4 days, Elizabeth and Garrick (who is white) signed the papers relinquishing their rights to Rebekah.
Six months later, we sent pictures of Rebekah to Elizabeth according to the semi-open adoption agreement we had made with her.
After Elizabeth saw the pictures, she went to the case worker and told her that Garrick was not the father but that Isaiah was and that Isaiah was African-American. Her next question to the caseworker was: "Will they want to keep her?"
In February of 1998, Elizabeth, her 2 year old daughter Sierra and Elizabeth's parents met with us. Each family shared concerns and desires for the adoption. At one point, Elizabeth's mother asked us: "If there is something wrong with this baby, will you walk away?" Since my wife and I had lost a baby 3 years earlier to a genetic disorder at the age of nine months, we were not about to walk away from this opportunity to care for another child. Race was never brought up at the meeting.
Rebekah is now a healthy 7 year old girl who has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.
Shortly after the discovery of Rebekah's dual heritage, my brother-in-law came up to me and said "My wife wants to know if you have any prejudices?" Being forced to exam myself on a moments notice, I was at a loss for words. But my answer was a foregone conclusion. I have an opportunity to look at another culture through the eyes of a 7 year old girl.
Even though it is an expressive and well defined word, I would refrain from using the word 'niggardly' simply on the grounds of being misconstrued. This is not for the sake of 'political correctness' but for the sake of relationship.
I would encourage others to do the same.
Glen Aus
Political Correctness
During this morning's senior management conference call, I used the word "niggardly" in a comment about a change EXCOM has made in the policy and practice regarding company-sponsored holiday events for staff members. I thought the events of 1999 in Washington, D.C., were widely enough publicized that the use of the word, which has its roots in medieval English, and occurs in the King James translation of the bible, has been confirmed as in no way related to the racial epithet that grew out of the Jim Crow era.
For those who aren't familiar with the term, or it's derivation, please view:
http://www.jacobsen.no/anders/blog/archives/2002/09/03
/american_political_correctness_the_word_niggardly.html
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-nig1.htm
http://www.adversity.net/special/niggardly.htm
Neither I personally, nor anyone at (this company) will condone discrimination based on race, nor tolerate the use of pejoratives in the workplace. However, in this instance, the similarity in pronunciation of a long-used and well-documented term that describes excessively parsimonious behavior, with the odious term shouldn't be a reason to not use it. The D.C. event, which ultimately ended in the re-hiring of the supposed offender, was hardly a high water mark in the pursuit of racial equality in America.
My Response:
I appreciate you bringing up such a subject. I would like to share with you my experience. In April of 1998, my wife and I (who are white) were present in the labor room, watching the birthmother, Elizabeth, (who is also white) give birth to our daughter Rebekah. We were told that Rebekah was half Japanese. Within 4 days, Elizabeth and Garrick (who is white) signed the papers relinquishing their rights to Rebekah.
Six months later, we sent pictures of Rebekah to Elizabeth according to the semi-open adoption agreement we had made with her.
After Elizabeth saw the pictures, she went to the case worker and told her that Garrick was not the father but that Isaiah was and that Isaiah was African-American. Her next question to the caseworker was: "Will they want to keep her?"
In February of 1998, Elizabeth, her 2 year old daughter Sierra and Elizabeth's parents met with us. Each family shared concerns and desires for the adoption. At one point, Elizabeth's mother asked us: "If there is something wrong with this baby, will you walk away?" Since my wife and I had lost a baby 3 years earlier to a genetic disorder at the age of nine months, we were not about to walk away from this opportunity to care for another child. Race was never brought up at the meeting.
Rebekah is now a healthy 7 year old girl who has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.
Shortly after the discovery of Rebekah's dual heritage, my brother-in-law came up to me and said "My wife wants to know if you have any prejudices?" Being forced to exam myself on a moments notice, I was at a loss for words. But my answer was a foregone conclusion. I have an opportunity to look at another culture through the eyes of a 7 year old girl.
Even though it is an expressive and well defined word, I would refrain from using the word 'niggardly' simply on the grounds of being misconstrued. This is not for the sake of 'political correctness' but for the sake of relationship.
I would encourage others to do the same.
Glen Aus
posted by Glen at 8:46 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home