Letters to the Editor
-
Relax people
Andrew, I enjoy your work, but sometimes you folks at Salon come across like you have been locked in a cell with only TVs, internet as your contacts with the outside world. E. O. Wilson said what he said since "Soccer mom" is an established demographic, it is applicable to Soccer dads, Baseball Uncles and whatever combo you find. His point is that we should not teach our kids to know the names of everything, but to develop an interest in everything.
For example, during the '80s, when apartheid was still going on in S. Africa, I was talking to a friend about the ANC. I told him for the ANC to succeed they will have to renounce violence and be seen as peaceful and stable-minded people (like Desmond Tutu and Mandela) and not common thugs. He got bent out of shape with his liberal talking points. Being a liberal myself I told him to chill and said I was referring to their practice of intimidation, such as where they catch someone suspected of snitching, beat him up, then put a car tire around his neck, fill it with gasoline and set it on fire. To which my friend said, "Oh, I know, it is called necklacing and it is no big deal."
he knew the name for it, the label, but he had no comprehension of what it really meant. That is probably the sort of thing E. O. Wilson was referring to. Knowing the name of a plant or animal is useless, knowing its place, its context, its relevance is what matters. Like looking at the name and photograph of someone who died in Iraq, vs actually knowing that person. Big difference.
So your getting so caught up with words does not help anyone. Relax. The same goes for Joan Walsh and many of the folks here. Cheers.