Sylvia Thompson
I am not an African American: words have meaning
By Sylvia Thompson
An "African American" is an African citizen who immigrated to the United States by choice and chose to become an American citizen. I am here as the result of my ancestors being brought here; they did not immigrate. And their citizenship was conferred by an act of Congress, which grants me citizenship. I am therefore, an American of African descent. I have never been a citizen of an African nation nor any other nation besides America. It is the place of primary emphasis in my heritage, so it takes prominence in any characterization of who I am and where I belong.
A few people have asked me what they should call blacks in America. They seem to be baffled by the many different names out there for black folks, and I understand their confusion. I do not speak for black people or any other people, for that matter. But I do speak for myself, and I will not allow elements of a godless, corrupt culture to dictate the words that I can and cannot use.
What I prefer to be called is an American black (or simply "black"), as distinct from, say, an American white. I am equally comfortable with "an American of African descent," because that is a fact. Or even, an "American Negro." That is, after all, the classification given on my official birth certificate – female Negro. That birth certificate, by the way, is a legal document, unlike the one that Barack Obama presented to the American people.
Words are my trade, and they have meanings that serve to provide effective communication for the dominant language in which they are spoken. The Left has done a good job of skewing English words to give itself dominance over how meaning is communicated. The most pernicious examples of this tactic come from homosexual activists. Instead of the clinical term for the aberrant and sinful condition of homosexuality, homosexuals and all whom they have bullied into following their lead insist that they be called "gay." There is nothing gay about the condition. It is, therefore, ridiculous for those of us who oppose their agenda to subvert a perfectly decent term "gay" (primarily meaning "happily excited") to suit their demands.
This Christian does not and will not refer to a sinful condition (as defined by Scripture), which is at the forefront of the moral degradation of this country, as anything but what it is, homosexuality, whose practitioners are homosexuals. Nothing gay about it.
The same applies to the word "marriage." It is from Almighty God and it defines the institution that He established to give the first human pair the most exquisite of relationships known to humankind. It is that relationship between a man and the woman who is his wife. The companion who was expressly designed – physically, psychically, and spiritually – to complement him. Any sordid, degenerate variations on that fact, are just that – sordid, degenerate variations, which no true believer in Scripture has any obligation to recognize. And the government that imposes a recognition of such vileness deserves revolt.
Another example of the Left's penchant for dictating how we must speak is the term "pro-choice" to describe those who support the killing of humans in the womb. No matter how you couch this behavior, killing of the unborn is still killing of an innocent being, whatever its justifications. But it certainly gives the behavior an air of respectability if all are forced to call it "pro-choice." It is interesting that medical science has proven that an unborn fetus is by DNA a distinct being from the woman in whose womb it resides. Whose choice then is it to end this person's life? It is certainly not the choice of the human fetus, because we do not ask. It is often not even the choice of the male involved, without whom there would be no human fetus. In our rotted culture, feminism has deemed that only the female carrier can dictate life or death. Can we get any more twisted than this?
People who support abortion will forever be in this Christian's mind, people who kill unborn humans. I have no interest in appeasing leftists and speaking in ways that give them comfort. Contrary to some (including professed Christians) who tip so lightly around the subject that you hardly know that they are there.
Further we have the leftist race mongers (black and white) who attempt to bully all black people into a certain "black speak," particularly regarding what blacks are to be called by white folks. If you want me to respond to you, I suggest that you call me what I see myself as, and not what leftist agitators dictate that I am.
My point in this little discourse is to move people who are fed-up with this madness to follow my example. Speak the words that are truth to leftists. They are, after all, just a particular brand of bully who will forever cause you grief if you do not put your foot down and say, "Enough!" As they steamroll you, you steamroll back. It is called being a Christian with a backbone, and it has nothing to do with your ability to love. It is an indication that you do not embrace willful (and I stress, willful) sinners or their sin. They are one and the same.
© Sylvia Thompson
March 31, 2014
An "African American" is an African citizen who immigrated to the United States by choice and chose to become an American citizen. I am here as the result of my ancestors being brought here; they did not immigrate. And their citizenship was conferred by an act of Congress, which grants me citizenship. I am therefore, an American of African descent. I have never been a citizen of an African nation nor any other nation besides America. It is the place of primary emphasis in my heritage, so it takes prominence in any characterization of who I am and where I belong.
A few people have asked me what they should call blacks in America. They seem to be baffled by the many different names out there for black folks, and I understand their confusion. I do not speak for black people or any other people, for that matter. But I do speak for myself, and I will not allow elements of a godless, corrupt culture to dictate the words that I can and cannot use.
What I prefer to be called is an American black (or simply "black"), as distinct from, say, an American white. I am equally comfortable with "an American of African descent," because that is a fact. Or even, an "American Negro." That is, after all, the classification given on my official birth certificate – female Negro. That birth certificate, by the way, is a legal document, unlike the one that Barack Obama presented to the American people.
Words are my trade, and they have meanings that serve to provide effective communication for the dominant language in which they are spoken. The Left has done a good job of skewing English words to give itself dominance over how meaning is communicated. The most pernicious examples of this tactic come from homosexual activists. Instead of the clinical term for the aberrant and sinful condition of homosexuality, homosexuals and all whom they have bullied into following their lead insist that they be called "gay." There is nothing gay about the condition. It is, therefore, ridiculous for those of us who oppose their agenda to subvert a perfectly decent term "gay" (primarily meaning "happily excited") to suit their demands.
This Christian does not and will not refer to a sinful condition (as defined by Scripture), which is at the forefront of the moral degradation of this country, as anything but what it is, homosexuality, whose practitioners are homosexuals. Nothing gay about it.
The same applies to the word "marriage." It is from Almighty God and it defines the institution that He established to give the first human pair the most exquisite of relationships known to humankind. It is that relationship between a man and the woman who is his wife. The companion who was expressly designed – physically, psychically, and spiritually – to complement him. Any sordid, degenerate variations on that fact, are just that – sordid, degenerate variations, which no true believer in Scripture has any obligation to recognize. And the government that imposes a recognition of such vileness deserves revolt.
Another example of the Left's penchant for dictating how we must speak is the term "pro-choice" to describe those who support the killing of humans in the womb. No matter how you couch this behavior, killing of the unborn is still killing of an innocent being, whatever its justifications. But it certainly gives the behavior an air of respectability if all are forced to call it "pro-choice." It is interesting that medical science has proven that an unborn fetus is by DNA a distinct being from the woman in whose womb it resides. Whose choice then is it to end this person's life? It is certainly not the choice of the human fetus, because we do not ask. It is often not even the choice of the male involved, without whom there would be no human fetus. In our rotted culture, feminism has deemed that only the female carrier can dictate life or death. Can we get any more twisted than this?
People who support abortion will forever be in this Christian's mind, people who kill unborn humans. I have no interest in appeasing leftists and speaking in ways that give them comfort. Contrary to some (including professed Christians) who tip so lightly around the subject that you hardly know that they are there.
Further we have the leftist race mongers (black and white) who attempt to bully all black people into a certain "black speak," particularly regarding what blacks are to be called by white folks. If you want me to respond to you, I suggest that you call me what I see myself as, and not what leftist agitators dictate that I am.
My point in this little discourse is to move people who are fed-up with this madness to follow my example. Speak the words that are truth to leftists. They are, after all, just a particular brand of bully who will forever cause you grief if you do not put your foot down and say, "Enough!" As they steamroll you, you steamroll back. It is called being a Christian with a backbone, and it has nothing to do with your ability to love. It is an indication that you do not embrace willful (and I stress, willful) sinners or their sin. They are one and the same.
© Sylvia Thompson
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