Search Results for: blog violence and slang terms

Violence and Slang Terms

It seems hard to blog about something as insignificant as celebrity gossip in the wake of what happened yesterday at Virginia Tech. Thirty-three innocent people are dead just for doing what most think of as the American dream – receiving a higher education in hopes of improving themselves. Whether we like it or not, violence seems to be a part of our American culture. Have you ever used the term “going postal” to describe a coworker, friend, or even yourself? Normally people use it to describe someone who is filled with rage and anger – someone who seems just at … Continue reading →

Backlash Against Korean Adoptees/Families?

Some Koreans, and adoptive parents of Korean-born children, have expressed fear of a backlash since the Virginia Tech shootings by a Korean-born young man. Seung-Hui Cho was a South Korean citizen and a legal permanent resident of the US who came here at the age of eight. I have not personally encountered racism as a multiracial family except on one occasion when another child said of (and in front of) my daughter, “She doesn’t look like an American.” I have worried that if tensions escalated with North Korea Koreans might be judged on their appearance the way some people of … Continue reading →

Simon Cowell: He’s Really Not That Nasty

If you watched American Idol Tuesday night, you may have noticed a bit of controversy. Contestant Chris Robinson sang a somewhat nasally version of the country tune “Mayberry” by Rascal Flatts. While Randy and Paula said they couldn’t feel any connection between Chris and the song, Simon insisted it was nasally and a non-descript vocal. Chris argued that nasally was a form of singing. If that is true, then there is still hope for me as a singer! Anyhow, after that exchange, Chris who hails from Chesapeake, Virginia, threw in a quick note about the Virginia Tech tragedy that had … Continue reading →

Adopt a Child–or a Whale?

I’ve always thought that adoptive parent groups protesting the use of “adopt-a-highway/whale/endangered gorilla/etc.” campaigns were overreacting. People can realize that a word is used differently in different settings, surely. But I’ve changed my mind. Think it through with me for a minute: we try so hard to reassure our adopted children that adoption is permanent and forever. Then we tell them we are adopting an animal, say a gorilla, at the local zoo. We send the zoo some money and go visit “our” animal, then go home. Perhaps we visit once or twice more that year. The next year our … Continue reading →