Color

Words are tools; Views are racist.

Adder wrote: They are good questions Carlos. You know I can't help but try to see if I can answer them for myself

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: Fair warning - this May trigger unwanted feeling and emotions but I must ask because I actually care...this is not intended to harm in any way but to think.

Is using color, to discribe people racist?

Depends on the direction it's going I think. Within a group, as a group identifier and in use of group dynamics, there is nothing wrong with using any shared attribute to identify the group - but that should be only of those choosing to be within that group. And its subsequent use can fairly considered likely to be used by anyone for that group and the individual of the group because that groups members have chosen to identify by that (at least in part)....... but that is vastly different from forcing a group association on someone because they happen to have that shared attribute. Why, because group labels mean more then the meaning of the label used for the group! Creating or applying groups to other people based on apparent shared attributes to some group is wrong because it also affords some relationship of those people to other less apparent attributes as necessarily shared by virtue of that apparent shared attribute. TLDR if they look like they are in a group then it’s not good enough to say they are just because the group label is so broad that they happen to have that attribute that a group uses to identify itself. It’s a ‘type mismatch’ or something, and so the question becomes ‘why’ do people do it….

I reckon folk tend to naturally use expression, such as language, to entertain and differentiate themselves from others - as individuals but also members of groups which also go to define themselves as individuals. People who are likewise entertained by that particular expression ‘get along’, and therefore often tend to also use the same groups (in the same ways).

For example, if within a community people speak totally different languages, then they can’t understand each other easily and so inevitably develop fault lines and fractures as different sections operate at different speeds of activity. It’s just not realistic for everyone to learn multiple languages, so its an inevitable barrier of differing heights depending on the language proficiencies. Same thing seems to be happening with defining identities and behaviours to groups instead of to people, IMO.

So considering all that I think the reason is it’s just very easy to be a scumbag…. and indeed people do it all the time for all sorts of reasons in all sorts of ways. No matter how good they think they are, or worse how right they think they are, people will push others down to create an illusion of lifting themselves up.

Now I think that is kinda inappropriate behaviour, not to mention discriminatory and inflammatory and wholly counter-productive beyond the selfish, but I think its a natural tendency given limited energy and competing demands on being alive! I guess a person has a choice to understand it so they see people doing it, and also try to avoid it themselves, or not.

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: Do Jedi use color to discribe on another?

Good point. A black Jedi could be intepreted as a dark Jedi, or Sith perhaps. Cannot get any darker than black hehe, maybe a Zero Kelvin Jedi would be Sith.

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: If you removed the ultimate worlds - black and white - how else can you discribe some one? Are we stuck with the terms black and white forever as far as race is concerned?

Race, hell no. Skin colour is not the most useful way to describe a sub-culture but it depends how you define race, because if race is defined by skin color then it might be a suitable label. Usually though race is much more than skin color. I’d say its a left over of old thinking, from the days when regions where more isolated and mixing of cultures and races occurred much less. In those days those groups were distinct and well formed because they were isolated. These days though, its not the case and they seem instead to be sub-cultures within larger multi-cultures. It's more a culture thing than a DNA thing seemingly. It's a bit like gender and sex perhaps, in that on the old days the distinction didn't exist within societal structures but now its not so useful to know someones sex for social interaction when its much more practical to work with the persons gender. For race in the old days the distinction did exist because it could effectively be used, but now we don't really need to know the DNA haplotypes and instead the sub-culture is much more practical.

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: Do colors refer to race?

What is race, and is it a useful concept these days and into the future? I think we've moved past the concept of regionally localised 'races' within a species. For humans the next races will be Earth, Mars and Belters

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: We believe and teach here In a society that does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or circumstances of birth such as gender, ethnicity and national origin.

Does that include using color?

Yep. But people might differ on how they interpret what is discriminatory speech. To me its a human rights issue and requires appropriate respect of the individuals rights, ie egalitarian. Against those natural or maybe human forces which divide and marginalize individuals to turn them from people and into instead group members. It I think it's the meaning of the word 'worth' for the 'human person' in the UNHDR Preamble which gives meaning to the fundamental right of 'dignity'.

How I love this place still...
Reading this brings me hope. Hope dwells every where and for many reasons. I would be a fool to say that hope can be for cultivation and not destruction only. Hope, like any tool can be used to build or tear down. There are jerks everywhere. Even I assume the JERK vail every now and then. With every tool there CAN be a personal balance. There can be a personal balance in everything or anything or nothing. This is the way sometimes. I ask because, I too am working out my own virtues as we speak. Its a daily thing for me. I heard Samuel L Jackson in an interview speak about his first meeting with John Boyega, and as much as I am a fan of that man, the way he described their first meeting - made me uncomfortable, the words he used. It made many, but thats Samuel L EFFEN Jackson right?? Thats what we pay for? He gets, I've heard, a ridiculous amounts of money to say his "key phrases." This touches what you said about those specific groups. In between that there, those two that, I cant touch and I dont belong. YET, you can see in this new generations crop that it aint ok with us. I think you hit it on the head with stating the archaic ways are dying. There's a whole movement I've been watching about changing words and for the most part it impresses me. Good luck trying to find a happy medium for the masses, im not sure thats gunna work like they want it but here's to hoping right? The need for people to speak what they intend is a part of character and virtue ive been seeking since the day some one told me," your talking about the Heros journey Carlos, you have been this whole time."

There was a man in the road yesterday, just laying in the road acting a fool. The wife honked and he stood up quick, to me it seemed he was under the influence of something. He certainly wasn't sober. He wasn't walking like it either. Not even 5 city blocks away, half a mile, ten houses down. I dont call the police for anything, I did yesterday. Our non emergency operator aske THAT question to which i said, " he is dirty and has dirty khakis and a dirty white shirt, he wil be the only man laying in the floor." She asked is he black or white? This is real stuff with real people. I was ready. " I dont use color to describe people any more so if you must hes- and I relayed the spectrum side of request, light and dark terms were used. The non emergency dispatch said well if you cant tell me I cant tell the officers who to look out for, they need to know. I am a believer that in one generation we can snuff it out just by the reactions we give. It will take work. He was the only one in the street.
This doesn't happen every day. Challenges are present almost always in life. Im an old fencer. The sword is nice. Of all the moments THAT particular skill was used - There was no steel in sight. Think about that. In real life its the balance from said practices that I have actually been glad for. How and what we speak tend to show our form, kinna like the glow of our Saber at times.
Im not much for keeping tabs on terms like boomer or generational stickers, that aint my thing either but I have met a CROP of people who share a very real sentiment and that is we can outlive some hate and wont be passing it. My own racism was taught to me and partly I sought it out. I think I will be doing the same thing for new ways to rid my own mind of harm, racism is one of those things I've been working on for myself, truth be told cuz I got kids man! I dont want to pass blind hate. FLAT OUT. I would love for those type of words to take a break, but here to hope right?

True story:
I don't live in the Ritz nor the hood. Currently we live in a hot spot on the east coast. A car comes blazing and blaring music to 11! Not a problem for me, yet EF this BEE and She want my dee (u understand) was blaring out like a outdoor concert. I walked by and simply said, my friend my kids can hear that," do you have any idea what he said??? My bad, I got kids too...Im not the type screaming turn that stuff down or yelling at kids on bikes and boards shaking my fist. I do do it in jest and to be honest, its a connection that is often made for me. But that aint me. I think most people right now are aware of the dangers of racism but dont know how to combat it, if it needs combating at all. I find working on me personally works. This is why I am a believer we need Modern day Jedi so bad. We need people to find their balances and share, Jedi or not. Finding and sharing personal balances for me helps mine. I see what CAN be done more than what's hoped for. Nothing wrong with hope, but faith without works is like a song you cant sing, as ive said before, its about as useless as a screen door on a submarine.
I want to continue to thank yall for this and I t is my hope it brings hope and some type of thought foward...never back. The hope is to build not tear down.

I dance. Ive noticed in dancing there is very few racist ideas and even when I dance a dance from another culture, on the dance floor, its welcomed, why not the skin or the people? Why not what it represents?
ps - not in the club but in real life. Something to think about, we show much more respect to a dance than ive seen some get from their skin tone. I find that odd. May the Force we share continue to be with us all.

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: Thank you for posting. I cant tell you how difficult it was and continues to be to chat about this subject. My hope is we dont harm one another but help by sharing. If I cant see ALL side some times I think I cant fully see. Thats me.
I am trying
My question for you Z is can an offence be an offence; without it being an offence?

Thank you for the question. Thank you for asking and not assuming you know what's best for other people. That in itself... is the right path.

In order to answer your question I want you to indulge me. I want you to think about what we call "foul language"; so called "cuss words". I believe understanding this will help a lot because it's all about good communication skills.

As you know, this came from "curse words". Obviously, cursing someone is bad and offensive. However, historically, people also cursed people who had wronged them. And it was believed that there was a chance the curse (like a spell) would come to pass if that person was guilty of what the person making the curse thought they did. If they were innocent then the curse could come back on the person who spoke it.

In this case we can all agree that cursing someone is like trying to hit them. It's a kind of verbal assault. The choice of words doesn't really matter. It is the INTENTION behind those words. The INTENTION reveals the kind of energy (positive or negative) that is being expressed.

Now what happens in communication in general is that language evolves based on how it is used. It wasn't only people who were cursed, but also situations. Older people don't typically use the most modern slang. However, they should acknowledge the fact that language changes and therefore if they say "gay" modern ears wont think they mean "happy" unless they explain themselves. If you have to explain yourself to be understood because you choose a word that the person you're talking to doesn't know, doesn't use, or doesn't use the depreciated meaning of, then that's your fault. You are "miscommunicating". If you want people to understand you have to use the language THEY know.

If you can speak Spanish, good for you. If you want to communicate with me you have to do it in English.

I have always been amazed that there were words in the English language that we weren't supposed to use. We tell children not to use these words even though adults use them and children always use them when they're not around adults, because they hear adults and other kids using them and they think of it as "cool".

Even words like "cool, hot, cold, fire" can all have different meanings depending on how they are used.

So I guess what we need to understand is that words are like swords. People don't get impaled on a sword simply because they see it. It depends on how you USE it; how you wield it. If someone said "Carlos is the best f-ing pastor I've ever had" would that make you feel good or bad? Would you receive it in the SPIRIT (energy) in which it was said... as a compliment.... or would the mere presence of the f word make you offended? If you're offended you're probably over the age of 65 or lived in a pretty sheltered perhaps rural area.

Because communication is a 2 ways street, if I know you feel a certain way towards the f-word, maybe because of your age or upbringing, I'm not going to use it around you because I don't want to offend you. But if I hear YOU using the f-word well then I don't have to presume you're okay with it or not. Of course you are.

Now notice, I can think, if you were over 65, that your age carries a higher probability of you being offended, that doesn't mean that everyone over 65 would be offended. I might not use that language just to be on the safe side. Because again... I want to communicate in the language of the person I'm communicating with. I don't want to impose my own views on what they should or shouldn't be offended by. So this is why I appreciate when people ASK. And you can ask in a way that's not offensive.

Words only have the power we give them. A lot of white people (and I use the term white to differentiate them from black people, just so we're clear) don't understand the N-word vs "nigga". However, this uses the same principle as "cuss words". The catch is that if you don't know how to use the word it definitely will be received the wrong way. So even if you say "nigga" and it's technically a different word... used wrong it definitely becomes the N-word. Black people brilliantly took the power away from the N-word, and transformed the energy from negative to positive. This is why black people use the word "nigga". Using this term continues to transform the negative energy of the N-word (which is always and forever still offensive) that is depreciated in non-racist speech. But only racists use that word so for them it still has that negative power and if they said "nigga" that negative energy would still be behind the word because of their INTENTION.

The reality is that there are white people who are allowed to say "nigga". But these people have shown that their intentions are the same as black people and they have shown that they cool with us on the same level as family so we accept them. And so when they represent our culture we don't see it as appropriation because we can tell the difference when someone loves our culture vs someone who simply wants to exploit it. we don't even like telling white people that they might be allowed to say it because that runs the risk of the wrong person tempting fate, thinking they are the right person when they're not. We can tell because the wrong energy is something that can be felt. And even a white person who is allowed to use "nigga" with the black people who know him/her, they know they should not use it around black people who don't know them.

So again, it's not the word... it's the intention. Intention changes the meaning of a word like a magnetic charge. You can also recall the saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So even if you paint a picture with words that you think sounds good, other people don't have to agree. You can either hide behind your positive intention whether people are offended or not, or you can paint a different picture. The question is whether that picture is for you or whether it's for others to behold.

If you selfishly use language then you don't care who you offend. Plenty of people take this approach and rub people the wrong way; often trying to insult people on purpose. Sometimes it's accidental because they aren't considerate of who is in the audience. TOTJO is not a place for one color or ethnicity. It's a place for all and therefore all should be equally welcome. How could I say black people are welcome too without saying the word black? You could say "people of African descent" but in reality... everyone is a person of African descent if you go back far enough. And if you can say "people of color" then you've already acknowledged a different color so why not say what those colors are? Are they pink? Purple? Green? Of course not. Therefore, it is a little intellectually dishonest to acknowledge color but deny what those colors actually are. Because whether you say it or not, the word you're trying not to say is still in your mind. The question is whether or not the word itself is wrong or not.

Another poster said something a bit offensive to me regarding "black Jedi" being interpreted as dark Jedi or sith. Black people are not literally black just like white people are not literally white. But these associations lead to people of lower intelligence thinking that black people are literally bad and white people are literally good. And I didn't have to say "lower intelligence". I could have just said "stupid people" but there is no context in which "stupid" is a compliment or in which "stupid" doesn't carry a negative denigrating connotation. Now if someone cannot use a black pen without thinking the ink is somehow wrong, dirty, evil, etc. then that person should maybe use "African American or African descent" instead.

If a person cannot use a word correctly then THEY shouldn't use it. But we don't ban swords because not everyone knows how to use one. Swords don't kill people. People kill people. So if an individual... cannot use the term "black" because their mind equates black with negative, understand that person is racist because there is no reason to make this association if you haven't been indoctrinated or nurtured into this kind of perspective. And if you're a racist, black people aren't going to be impressed with you using "African American". Most racists are closet racists. We don't like them any better than we like racists who aren't in the closet. Racists who aren't in the closet we have more respect for because at least they're being honest. But they're wrong so... there's that.

So when someone cannot use the term "black"... I have to wonder why. I have to wonder if it's because they have associated black with negativity. If they do... understand... it doesn't matter what word they choose at that point. Their intention is always going to be that there is something wrong with a person being "black". But that's in their minds. In reality, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a person being black because that is not a negative thing.

If you can describe someone has having dark or black hair, there's something wrong, in my opinion, if you cannot make any reference to their skin color. Eye color shouldn't matter either. And because it shouldn't matter you should be able to say "she has pretty blue eyes". "He has pretty green eyes". "I like long dark hair. That's my personal preference." "She has pretty brown skin." "He has chocolate brown skin". "She has creamy white skin". "Look at those pretty pearly white teeth".

See how all of these descriptions are positive? If someone doesn't like blue eyes, that's their problem. I think all color eyes are pretty but if the iris is red then it's scary, why? because on a human... its too different or alien. But if an alien came with big round black eyes I would probably think it was cute. But even if I didn't, saying "that dude has red eyes, run!" isn't wrong. I'm not saying "run" because he has red eyes but run because him having red eyes means were're in a fictional show or movie and the actor is playing a certain part. Meanwhile, the more you know about a new species, Chiss for instance, then red eyes are just red eyes. As long as it's normal FOR THEM then it's normal and fine; not evil. Duros, same thing. But if Cad Bane is after you it's not because of the color of his eyes but content of his character and what his intentions are in his heart.

Everyone has the same potential for good and evil. Attributing this to some color of a body part is like assuming that a person wielding a black saber must be the bad guy. Color associations like this boil down to humans being afraid of those who look different from us. That's really the bottom line here. But you shouldn't be afraid of someone because they look different. You should be afraid of someone only if they mean you harm. And if you are good to them why should they be any different towards you? And if they are, maybe you should consider how you're treating them.

May the Force be with you

That was a good read.

ZealotX wrote:

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: Thank you for posting. I cant tell you how difficult it was and continues to be to chat about this subject. My hope is we dont harm one another but help by sharing. If I cant see ALL side some times I think I cant fully see. Thats me.
I am trying
My question for you Z is can an offence be an offence; without it being an offence?

Thank you for the question. Thank you for asking and not assuming you know what's best for other people. That in itself... is the right path.

In order to answer your question I want you to indulge me. I want you to think about what we call "foul language"; so called "cuss words". I believe understanding this will help a lot because it's all about good communication skills.

As you know, this came from "curse words". Obviously, cursing someone is bad and offensive. However, historically, people also cursed people who had wronged them. And it was believed that there was a chance the curse (like a spell) would come to pass if that person was guilty of what the person making the curse thought they did. If they were innocent then the curse could come back on the person who spoke it.

In this case we can all agree that cursing someone is like trying to hit them. It's a kind of verbal assault. The choice of words doesn't really matter. It is the INTENTION behind those words. The INTENTION reveals the kind of energy (positive or negative) that is being expressed.

Now what happens in communication in general is that language evolves based on how it is used. It wasn't only people who were cursed, but also situations. Older people don't typically use the most modern slang. However, they should acknowledge the fact that language changes and therefore if they say "gay" modern ears wont think they mean "happy" unless they explain themselves. If you have to explain yourself to be understood because you choose a word that the person you're talking to doesn't know, doesn't use, or doesn't use the depreciated meaning of, then that's your fault. You are "miscommunicating". If you want people to understand you have to use the language THEY know.

If you can speak Spanish, good for you. If you want to communicate with me you have to do it in English.

I have always been amazed that there were words in the English language that we weren't supposed to use. We tell children not to use these words even though adults use them and children always use them when they're not around adults, because they hear adults and other kids using them and they think of it as "cool".

Even words like "cool, hot, cold, fire" can all have different meanings depending on how they are used.

So I guess what we need to understand is that words are like swords. People don't get impaled on a sword simply because they see it. It depends on how you USE it; how you wield it. If someone said "Carlos is the best f-ing pastor I've ever had" would that make you feel good or bad? Would you receive it in the SPIRIT (energy) in which it was said... as a compliment.... or would the mere presence of the f word make you offended? If you're offended you're probably over the age of 65 or lived in a pretty sheltered perhaps rural area.

Because communication is a 2 ways street, if I know you feel a certain way towards the f-word, maybe because of your age or upbringing, I'm not going to use it around you because I don't want to offend you. But if I hear YOU using the f-word well then I don't have to presume you're okay with it or not. Of course you are.

Now notice, I can think, if you were over 65, that your age carries a higher probability of you being offended, that doesn't mean that everyone over 65 would be offended. I might not use that language just to be on the safe side. Because again... I want to communicate in the language of the person I'm communicating with. I don't want to impose my own views on what they should or shouldn't be offended by. So this is why I appreciate when people ASK. And you can ask in a way that's not offensive.

Words only have the power we give them. A lot of white people (and I use the term white to differentiate them from black people, just so we're clear) don't understand the N-word vs "nigga". However, this uses the same principle as "cuss words". The catch is that if you don't know how to use the word it definitely will be received the wrong way. So even if you say "nigga" and it's technically a different word... used wrong it definitely becomes the N-word. Black people brilliantly took the power away from the N-word, and transformed the energy from negative to positive. This is why black people use the word "nigga". Using this term continues to transform the negative energy of the N-word (which is always and forever still offensive) that is depreciated in non-racist speech. But only racists use that word so for them it still has that negative power and if they said "nigga" that negative energy would still be behind the word because of their INTENTION.

The reality is that there are white people who are allowed to say "nigga". But these people have shown that their intentions are the same as black people and they have shown that they cool with us on the same level as family so we accept them. And so when they represent our culture we don't see it as appropriation because we can tell the difference when someone loves our culture vs someone who simply wants to exploit it. we don't even like telling white people that they might be allowed to say it because that runs the risk of the wrong person tempting fate, thinking they are the right person when they're not. We can tell because the wrong energy is something that can be felt. And even a white person who is allowed to use "nigga" with the black people who know him/her, they know they should not use it around black people who don't know them.

So again, it's not the word... it's the intention. Intention changes the meaning of a word like a magnetic charge. You can also recall the saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So even if you paint a picture with words that you think sounds good, other people don't have to agree. You can either hide behind your positive intention whether people are offended or not, or you can paint a different picture. The question is whether that picture is for you or whether it's for others to behold.

If you selfishly use language then you don't care who you offend. Plenty of people take this approach and rub people the wrong way; often trying to insult people on purpose. Sometimes it's accidental because they aren't considerate of who is in the audience. TOTJO is not a place for one color or ethnicity. It's a place for all and therefore all should be equally welcome. How could I say black people are welcome too without saying the word black? You could say "people of African descent" but in reality... everyone is a person of African descent if you go back far enough. And if you can say "people of color" then you've already acknowledged a different color so why not say what those colors are? Are they pink? Purple? Green? Of course not. Therefore, it is a little intellectually dishonest to acknowledge color but deny what those colors actually are. Because whether you say it or not, the word you're trying not to say is still in your mind. The question is whether or not the word itself is wrong or not.

Another poster said something a bit offensive to me regarding "black Jedi" being interpreted as dark Jedi or sith. Black people are not literally black just like white people are not literally white. But these associations lead to people of lower intelligence thinking that black people are literally bad and white people are literally good. And I didn't have to say "lower intelligence". I could have just said "stupid people" but there is no context in which "stupid" is a compliment or in which "stupid" doesn't carry a negative denigrating connotation. Now if someone cannot use a black pen without thinking the ink is somehow wrong, dirty, evil, etc. then that person should maybe use "African American or African descent" instead.

If a person cannot use a word correctly then THEY shouldn't use it. But we don't ban swords because not everyone knows how to use one. Swords don't kill people. People kill people. So if an individual... cannot use the term "black" because their mind equates black with negative, understand that person is racist because there is no reason to make this association if you haven't been indoctrinated or nurtured into this kind of perspective. And if you're a racist, black people aren't going to be impressed with you using "African American". Most racists are closet racists. We don't like them any better than we like racists who aren't in the closet. Racists who aren't in the closet we have more respect for because at least they're being honest. But they're wrong so... there's that.

So when someone cannot use the term "black"... I have to wonder why. I have to wonder if it's because they have associated black with negativity. If they do... understand... it doesn't matter what word they choose at that point. Their intention is always going to be that there is something wrong with a person being "black". But that's in their minds. In reality, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a person being black because that is not a negative thing.

If you can describe someone has having dark or black hair, there's something wrong, in my opinion, if you cannot make any reference to their skin color. Eye color shouldn't matter either. And because it shouldn't matter you should be able to say "she has pretty blue eyes". "He has pretty green eyes". "I like long dark hair. That's my personal preference." "She has pretty brown skin." "He has chocolate brown skin". "She has creamy white skin". "Look at those pretty pearly white teeth".

See how all of these descriptions are positive? If someone doesn't like blue eyes, that's their problem. I think all color eyes are pretty but if the iris is red then it's scary, why? because on a human... its too different or alien. But if an alien came with big round black eyes I would probably think it was cute. But even if I didn't, saying "that dude has red eyes, run!" isn't wrong. I'm not saying "run" because he has red eyes but run because him having red eyes means were're in a fictional show or movie and the actor is playing a certain part. Meanwhile, the more you know about a new species, Chiss for instance, then red eyes are just red eyes. As long as it's normal FOR THEM then it's normal and fine; not evil. Duros, same thing. But if Cad Bane is after you it's not because of the color of his eyes but content of his character and what his intentions are in his heart.

Everyone has the same potential for good and evil. Attributing this to some color of a body part is like assuming that a person wielding a black saber must be the bad guy. Color associations like this boil down to humans being afraid of those who look different from us. That's really the bottom line here. But you shouldn't be afraid of someone because they look different. You should be afraid of someone only if they mean you harm. And if you are good to them why should they be any different towards you? And if they are, maybe you should consider how you're treating them.

May the Force be with you

I want to thank you so very much for your side. That's how "I" learn what the Force is and what it is to others. In my life, from my travels, I've met personally 2 people from Nigeria. I've never heard them use color to describe skin. Both actually had the utmost respect for their own conversation. I have met many who have the same "glow." The glow I mean is that cautiousness of speech, almost like they are thinking about what they say before they say it. That's one of my own my goals in life. Im trying. I think its the try that makes the difference. The glow is on.

Real Life for me. Please note this is from my own persoanl life.
The word "chicano" has always been in my life. From games to songs to how those around me used it. I took a study on the word. Blew my mind how a culture and time can take shame and create honor. My hope is that there is more of this type of change. How, I have no idea, yet it can be done. Some have dreams and some have solutions. Somehow, its already been done. Have I personally used other words to describe folks, you bet, but I'm not that person any longer. Making a difference for me means exactly that, being the difference.
Now Z, to answer your question, Im a old bartender, soldier, street thug and all around " tough scar" when it comes to swearing. I've tapered my speech to reflect my hopes at times but I do swear. I would be honored to receive compliments on things and acts of labor and kindness ANY day, regardless of content. Expression is HUGE in the human world. Truth be told, ANY compliment now a days is always welcomed for me.

"TOTJO is not a place for one color or ethnicity."

Remembering things like this help me often in real life. IT CAN EXIST. It does. How, well that's the "million dolla" question hu?

How do we as Modern day Jedi find our own personal balances when every one else is trying to do the same. What can get even more frustration is when others think and use liberty's "I" have- not in ways - I don't. As a human i had to get over that. The same can be said for words. Some words I just wont use anymore and that's my choice. Live and in person, I am a father and a Pastor and wont hesitate to warn and encourage othrs to "think " about what your actually conveying. Color is no exception in my house hold. I don't or try not to shame anyone but give hope. Hope is the hardest thing to give when it comes to color for me.

Some of my own reflection find very few compliments and encouragements when dealing with color. In my real life, it was CINEMA that brought me the first description of a deep almond or deep gold and very deep rose that was described as beautiful. Sadly it was a Fresh Prince of Bel Aire show and the uncle described his wife's skin like I had NEVER heard since. It changed my life at the possibilities, but I have yet to hear it since. I LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD OFTEN. I try lol . Im always looking for those people or those folks who actually live it. You could say I am looking for the "elders" I would like to follow.

I appreciate the use of the word curse. When we as humans are able to understand ourselves and why WE do things, things can change. Not others but our own self's. Where did I get that word from and its definition, and why am I using it this way? Thats why I love Modern day Jedi, always seeking always thinking always trying. Its that constant - inconsistency that can take some getting used to. Jedi think. That means it may look fickel but give a Modern day Jedi a few moments and they will figure it out. Attachment is such a difficult thing to grasp because we are all attached by some things and we dont even know it, untill we find out.

I want to continue to thank every one for being civil and respectful for the understanding the difficulty it is for me and the level of trust I have here to this place. I am learning WHAT CAN BE EACH AND EVERY TIME SOME ONE SHARES, WHICH IN TURN MAKES MY DEFINITIONS OF THE FORCE GROW. (Caps intended)

Still a lot to think about and I invite others to continue to share and continue to keep the glow going, if you like. Keep building, not tearing down. It IS building me up.
Pastor Carlos
I'm available on pm here or on discord or directly as always and may the Force we share continue to guide.

https://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/member-discussions/124279-you-keep-using-that-word-i-don-t-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means#354998



These last few posts were worth their own thread so there they are, feel free to follow and add.