What's going on....

[Paula Meyer]

Rolland,
The complainers about "truth" put me in mind of those who attacked Rigoberta Menchu.  Rigoberta may have collapsed several people into one and changed her relationship to some of them, but the overall message  in her book of the oppression of her family and her people is absolutely true.  There are many definitions of "truth."  For example, there are chronicles taken verbatim from a particular incident, and there are personal histories that come from a person's perception of events.  Both are true.  In a way, the narrator's perceptions hold more "truth" or meaning than "objective" documentation.  This issue comes up a lot when narratives of oppressed people are read or heard by the oppressors.
Paula
---- Rolland Nadjiwon <mikinakn at SHAW.CA> wrote: 
> Yes, I was aware of the controversy. However, I thought the impact of the
> message was more important than the truth or falsity of the video. Being
> bullied is not something most young people want to talk about. Most bullying
> happens in silence and even fabricated stories to protect themselves amongst
> peers. There have been far too many young people committing suicide as the
> end product of bullying and those are only the ones we hear about. If not
> suicide, the damage is often demonstrated in the incredible increases in
> drug and alcohol addiction in youth and often in overdose deaths. Most of
> the messages and information passed on today is done so by actors...what is
> the truth or falsity in our world of everything being an advertisement
> commercial. We have allowed ourselves the deceptions of a bureaucratic
> culture in an age of illusion. We may need to wave even more flags.
> I realize this is not list for 'soap boxing' ...editorializing maybe...
> Resa, following the comments, to me, clearly indicated I would not want to
> be in close relation or proximity of some of those respondents...many of
> them were tantamount to bullying...amazing.  
> 
> 
> -------
> wahjeh
> rolland nadjiwon
> ___________________________________________
> Thought I wanted a career, turns out I only wanted the pay checks...
>  
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
> On Behalf Of Resa C Bizzaro
> Sent: December-06-11 11:43 AM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] What's going on....
> 
> Hi, everyone. Thanks, Rolland, for sending this link along. I saw it
> yesterday, and I read through some of the comments. That was where I found
> out that there is quite a bit of controvery over whether the video is
> actually true. Some postings indicate that Jonah Mowry lied. 
> I did not continue to look into the videos (due to time constraints) to see
> if the video was a hoax or not.
> 
> Whether the video is true or false, I still believe it's important for us to
> be vigilant with regard to bullying. It has become apparent to me (through
> my own experience with my son being bullied) that the bullying cessation
> programs in our public schools are not working.
> 
> Resa