I got a dreeyum!

[Rev. Doctah 'Lijah Love]

Praze de Lawd Chirren! Praze de Lawd.

Todee we be ramembrin de memry o' de Reverun Martin Lut'er Kang. De Reverun Kang say "I got a dreeyum."

Fokes, de Right Reverun Doctah 'Lijuh Love gots a dreeyum too! Deys awl kine o' dreeyums I knows, baat dis be de spesshul dreeyum.

Lissun chirrens, lissun good to wat de Reverun Doctah goone say:

Chirrens, we awl chirren of de same pappy, de same mammy. We awls sons of de Fawduh Mose High! GAWD be yo' Pappy! And de Holy Eart' be awl owuh Blessed Mammy. Raise yo' hand to de sky, Chirren- say thanky LAWD! Get down own yo' KNEEZ and kiss de groun'! Say thanky MAMMY!

CHIRREN! You awls be de miracul! Yo life be HOLY. Evern singul one ah ya be HOLY! Doone mattah what you doone- de LAWD love you no how. And de Eart' love you too. Yo life chirren is a miracul, and if yo life be de miracul, den YOU, chirren, be HOLY. Dare ain't no unHoly miracul. Dare ain't no unHOLY CHIRREN.

But de Chirren foegets. I know... de Reverun foe-gets some time too...

Chirren. Reverun Kang say he dream of de time would come when awl us chirren, de white, de black, de red, de yeellah, would trooly see each othuh as we really be- not a white man, not a black man, not a red man, and no yeellah- but see de man fo what he truly be, see each uddah fo what we trooly be: we awl be de holy creeyashun o de same univert, de chirren of de Lawd owuh pappy and de Eart owuh Mammy.

Praze be GAWD. Reverun Kang dreeyum dat day be in de fyutcha... Sweet chirren: I dreeyumed dat day be todeey.

Das awl Chrirren. Gawd bless ya. I love ya. An' now if ya doone mine, dat Widdah Smit say she de fence on dat hen pen ficks.....

 

[Closet Desire]

This is supposed to be...

...funny? serious? pointless?

 

[Nobody Special's wife]

Make the bad lady stop!!

Umm I'm sorry to say But this thread is FUCKING INSULTING!!!!!!! Makeing fun of a race is insulting an a wonder of a leader is insulting if your going to make fun of some one let it be our president... But other than that you need a life



THE WIFE

 

[Guest]

Subtitles for the sarcasticly challenged

As usual there will be people who fail to see comedy. The writer is espousing Dr Kings message you dimbulb.

The fact that he chooses to do it in a "voice" similar to a tanked up Jesse Jackson does not change the message. Except in the case of those whose IQ hovers aroud room temperature.

 

[Guest]

lol Careful lol or ill unleash my lol dragon breath ON YOU FUCKERS!! lol

 

[Closet Desire]

Oh...

...you're so right. Some of us don't find comedy in such parody and "parody" isn't the same thing as "espousing". You might want to look it up. And, yes, it does change the message for many, if not most, of us.

I don't normally duel with unarmed opponents, but since you made it personal I'll make an exception.

If your room temperature matches my IQ, you'll be done in about 20 minutes.

[Edited by Closet Desire on 01-15-2001 at 07:39 AM]

 

[Guest]

To people who know little of humor or combat

Mr Webster defines parody as: A composition that imitates another work HUMOROUSLY or SATIRICLY.

The author (obvious to anyone with half a clue) is, in a HUMOROUS manner, SATIRIZING Jesse Jackson while espousing Dr. Kings message.

BTW grab a sense of humor you tight assed holier than thou moron. And put away the guns before you hurt someone ( a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing).

 

[Ambrosious]

Mr. Webster

I've read most of your books, and find most of them fascinating, although lately the endings have become somewhat predictable. Have you ever thought about "mixing it up"? Maybe start with the letter "K" and just jump around.

I don't know, it is just a suggestion.

 

[Closet Desire]

Thanks for the definition...

...I believe that's just what I said.

I'm always intrigued by people who hurl insults while hiding their faces...and names.

Humour is always subjective. As for combat, I have a VA pension which sort of makes me lucky. I brought my friends home in gray coffins that said "vent gases before opening." How much do you need to know about "combat".

I guess by your own definition, you're "dangerous".

Oh...yeah...sorry...we're not allowed to have guns here.

[Edited by Closet Desire on 01-15-2001 at 08:12 AM]

 

[Guest]

Obviously you learned little.

By your posts on the gun thread that fact shines through. But I digress.

In any case, it wasn't "just what you said".

If you are so obtuse as not to recognize your obvious error, I have no time for you.

Your pension does NOT in any way qualify you as an expert. Certainly your words don't.

Have a hap,hap happy day.

 

[Nobody Special]

O'TAY PANKY...... What ever... please next time try to write a lil bit clearer so that we all can understand what you are trying to say.. I am not one to bitch and complain about spelling and punctualtion and I'm not complaining about that now, just try to make it a lil more easier to read... so please resubmit your post Rev. Doctah 'Lijah Love and may be I will attempt to reread it then...

and I do agree some what to what Nobody Special Intelect has said and I do agree with Closet Desire on this one...

Ambrosious, I like your suggestion too.. that would make it a better reading book

E

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

I for one would like to declare myself to be a disciple of the Reverend doctor.

Free at last, free at last! Thank god almighty...

 

[Guest]

See above.

Buh Bye

 

[SimplySouthern]

See above.

Buh Bye

Ummm..."de fence" is what keeps "de cows" in.

 

[Guest]

It was a play on words given the combo convo above. If only Dan Webster were by my side.

 

[Closet Desire]

Never said...

...I was an "expert" on anything. I challenge you to find the word in any of my posts anywhere. In fact, I defered to others on a number of ocassions and suggested that readers follow up there. Even included urls for reference. Seems I also said something about "not having a clue" about how the exoskeletons were made or used on another thread. I also pointed out some ways I had fucked up in the job. It doesn't change the fact as far as weapons and protection go I was certified as an instructor by the state council on law enforcement in what I taught. My partner was ex-marine and a lt. in the state police in charge of the governor's personal protection detail. He's now in Bosnia training security forces. They probably are "experts" but it depends on your criteria. I learned what I could at every opportunity. You?

Tell you what I am an expert on though. English language and literature. Credentials out the yazoo...books, journals, papers at major universities. If you study lit at university you'll come across me eventually. Not everyone's cup of tea but it floats my boat.

Haven't got time for one-to-one dialogue or debate without insults and name calling? Your loss...not mine. I've got better things to do than insult people I don't know or go around picking fights anonymously. I certainly hope you're not so bitter in real life.

[Edited by Closet Desire on 01-15-2001 at 08:32 AM]

 

[Closet Desire]

Why I was not amused...

In the early sixties I attended an elementary school in Sylvan Hills, just outside of North Little Rock. The school sat up on a hill surrounded by woods and neighboring an Army base. My house was at the bottom of the hill just across a creek (looked like a river to me then). I was white and lived in a racist family. Tensions, even at this elementary school, were incredibly high...more than somebody my age could comprehend or cope with. Everywhere I turned there was hatred and animosity not only between blacks and whites, but even between whites who were tolerant and those who were intolerant. I remember becoming completely resigned the day I saw my teacher attacked by third grade students and beaten up. She never came back.

I had my own running, day-to-day battle with a black boy my age. I'm sure the only thing we were fighting over was the colour of our skin. He was a better fighter than me and I routinely got the crap beat out of me. I was terrified at a time in my life when I should have been having the time of my life.

We had police officers escorting children to school and standing guard to prevent parents from attacking black kids. It was worse at the high schools in North Little Rock. The neighborhood hasn't changed that much. I went back a few years ago while attending a judo tournament. That school is still there today, surrounded by an eight foot high chain-link fence and razorwire. If anybody here lives in Little Rock I'll bet they know exactly where I'm talking about. The woods are there as is my old house (they cut down the tree my tree house was in) and a tiny creek that is dry as a bone in summer.

In the years to follow it was easy for me to find reasons to hate blacks and believe they were inferior. This was fueled by my family who hated not only blacks, but Hispanics, Asians, Asian Indians, and Native Americans (hell, they haven't talked to me since I married an English woman). My parents made sure I was in school districts where I would not be bused as part of desegregation.

I started to change when I joined the Navy. Shaved our heads, took away our clothes, and threw us all in together. Suddenly I realized that race didn't have shit to do with anything. I'm glad to say that my ways changed quickly and easily.

Martin Luther King was a man who made much of this possible not only for me, but for millions of other Americans. He gave blacks and whites courage to stand up for civil rights. I might have been too young to play a part, but it had its effect on me. He was a man who risked all for what he believed in and, of course, he died for it as well. His influence gave hope that some of us would raise our children differently. I still wonder today if that black boy and I would have been friends had we been the same colour.

Any other day I might have found the parody, satire, call it what you will, of a southern black preacher amusing, but on the day recognising his death I found it tasteless and insulting.

I apologise to those who think my harshness was out of line.



[Edited by Closet Desire on 01-15-2001 at 09:24 AM]

 

[CreamyLady]

Point of fact: Noah Webster was the lexicographer; Daniel Webster was a politician and orator from New Hampshire, I believe.

Dangerous Dan McGrew was a fictional character in Robert Service's poem by the same name.

As for Dr. King's original message, it was beautiful and I really hope that some day the dream can be fully achieved. I didn't think the satire, parody, or whatever the hell it is was particularly funny, either.

 

[riff]

Plain English

Praze de Lawd Chirren! Praze de Lawd.

{Praise the Lord, Children! Praise the Lord.}

Todee we be ramembrin de memry o' de Reverun Martin Lut'er Kang. De Reverun Kang say "I got a dreeyum."

{Today we are remembering the memory of the Reverend Martin Luther King. The Reverend King said, "I have a dream."}

Fokes, de Right Reverun Doctah 'Lijuh Love gots a dreeyum too! Deys awl kine o' dreeyums I knows, baat dis be de spesshul dreeyum.

{Folks, the Right Reverend Doctor 'Lijah Love has a dream too. There are all kinds of dreams, I know, but this is a special dream.}

Lissun chirrens, lissun good to wat de Reverun Doctah goone say:

{Listen, children. Listen well to what the Reverend Doctor is going to say:}

Chirrens, we awl chirren of de same pappy, de same mammy. We awls sons of de Fawduh Mose High! GAWD be yo' Pappy! And de Holy Eart' be awl owuh Blessed Mammy. Raise yo' hand to de sky, Chirren- say thanky LAWD! Get down own yo' KNEEZ and kiss de groun'! Say thanky MAMMY!

{Children, we are all children of the same father, the same mother. We are all sons of the Father, Most High! God is your Father. And the Holy Earth is our Blessed Mother. Raise your hands to the sky, children and say- Thank you Lord! Get down on your knees and kiss the ground. Say Thank you, Mother.}

CHIRREN! You awls be de miracul! Yo life be HOLY. Evern singul one ah ya be HOLY! Doone mattah what you doone- de LAWD love you no how. And de Eart' love you too. Yo life chirren is a miracul, and if yo life be de miracul, den YOU, chirren, be HOLY. Dare ain't no unHoly miracul. Dare ain't no unHOLY CHIRREN.

{Children, all of you are miracles. Your life is HOLY. Every single one of you is HOLY. Is doesn't matter what you have done, the Lord loves you anyway. And the Earth loves you too. Your life is a miracle, and if your life is a miracle, then you, children, are HOLY. There are no unholy miracles. There are no unholy children.}

But de Chirren foegets. I know... de Reverun foe-gets some time too...

{But children forget. I know... the Reverend forgets too, sometimes.}

Chirren. Reverun Kang say he dream of de time would come when awl us chirren, de white, de black, de red, de yeellah, would trooly see each othuh as we really be- not a white man, not a black man, not a red man, and no yeellah- but see de man fo what he truly be, see each uddah fo what we trooly be: we awl be de holy creeyashun o de same univert, de chirren of de Lawd owuh pappy and de Eart owuh Mammy.

{Children. Reverend King said that he dreamt of a time when all of we children, the white, the black, the red, the yellow, would truly see each other as we really are- not a white man, not a black man, not a red man, and not a yellow man- but that we would see the man for what he truly is: we are all the holy creations of the same universe, the children the Lord, our father, and the Earth, our mother.}

Praze be GAWD. Reverun Kang dreeyum dat day be in de fyutcha... Sweet chirren: I dreeyumed dat day be todeey.

{Praise be to God. Reverend King dreamt that day would be in the future. Sweet children: I dreamt that day is today.}

Das awl Chrirren. Gawd bless ya. I love ya. An' now if ya doone mine, dat Widdah Smit say she de fence on dat hen pen ficks.....

{That's all, Children. God bless you. And now, if you don't mind, that Widow Smith says she has a fence on her hen pen that needs to be fixed.}

 

[Closet Desire]

Nicely done...

Thanks for taking the time and sharing your talent. Sorry for misinterpreting your intent.

(big smile)

 

[riff]

Re: Nicely done...

Thanks for taking the time and sharing your talent. Sorry for misinterpreting your intent.

(big smile)

No offense taken. You simply misunderstood some writing with a great potential for being misunderstood. But you understand now. Thanks for the compliment. I need to come up with a phonics system- ironic, isn't it?

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

From Confederate Flags to Aunt Jemmimah to Shylock the very mention of some standards, archetypes and cultural icons is fraught with peril. Ten Danson in blackface was a stupid idea. But Archie Bunker in blackface fifteen years earlier was right on target. Do you praise Stepinfetchit for making blacks visible and increasing their employment opportunities in the entertainment field, or do you damn him for perpetuating a sterotype that was a mote in the eye of the early civil rights movement? Who gets to say the word "nigger"? Who gets to tell an Italian joke? And what the hell do we do about Columbus Day?

My father grew up in the South and swears the only reason some sterotypes exist is because "people actually were like that." Of course, he fails to see that the shuffling black men he met as a youth were only like that around him. It's called survival, baby.

But there ARE Reverends like riff's character. And, look, he could have made the Reverend a watermellon eating buffoon. But he didn't. He could have made him an Elmer Gantry type huckster. But he didn't. He could have made him a Minstrel Show clown. But he didn't.

I admit I didn't like the Reverend's first post a while back. It felt racist. It felt satirical. But when I actually read the post all the way through I didn't find any racism, or even any racist jokes. All I found was honest sentiment. Nothing was dead on offensive. And I felt that if the writer was trying to be offensive, he certainly had the typewritter chops to do a better job of it.

But I think eveyrone gets that. I suppose the argument in this thread is "Was this appropriate on Martin Luther King's birthday?"

Hmm. This reminds me of a bit Alan Havey used to do in his act about a white man trying to point out a black man at a party.

White Guy: "See the guy over there? No! The one with the tie. No! The one by the punch bowl. No! The one behind the piano. No! The one with the..."

Other White Guy: "You mean the black guy? Why not just say "the black guy"?

It seems that in some situations even the existance of superficial racial differences (or cultural backgrounds) is enough to cow us, and make us quick to "be sensitive".

The Reverend doesn't bother me any more. Perhaps it's becuase riff has put him into context. I'm a little sad that he had to do that for me, since I believe that any truthful writing (or character) should speak for itself. (You don't have Norman Lear on Nick-At-Night saying "So let me explain to you all why 'All in the Family' is funny....") But posts on the BB always suffer a bit from lack of nuance, so perhaps an occasional context check is in order.

Thanks, riff.

 

[Closet Desire]

I was thinking about that too..

In the virtual world our senses are hamstrung and a lot of the cues we usually rely on aren't present. I know that I saw a guest poster and not a name I recognise. The day of course, made it natural for me anyway to see it as derogatory which, of course, Riff didn't intend. I think DCL hit it right on about context.

In context I can appreciate and even admire what Riff did as the good Doctah. Hopefully, it can be appreciated also that I'm not too proud to say "I'm sorry" and that it was clever and well-done.

Thanks DLC for saying what I should have said.

 

[Nobody Special's wife]

Riff

I have to agree with you on all accounts ..
I believe that Doctor Martin Luther King ...Speach is the choice that brought some but not all racism down, I beleive if we all bleed red we are all equal...Now if you bleed green there may be a problem ..Back to what I was saying Martin Speach is One of the best speaches to get the Young to veiw each other as they should...If we all were able to look past all the color we all would be alright , But some of us are unable to do that because of the Tunnel vision that the only have.

The Wife