A blog devoted to the actors and public policy issues involved in the 1998 District of Columbia Court of Appeals decision in Freedman v. D.C. Department of Human Rights, an employment discrimination case.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Coded Language and The Brahms Violin Concerto
More on coded language in Poland: In the debate over the crosses at Auschwitz, right-wing publicists identified their political opponents and even some priests and bishops as "Jews," which came to be a code-word for anyone who advocated a culturally open, liberal, secular Poland. Not only can one have anti-Semitism in the absence of Jews, but one can have anti-Semitism that is not even about Jews!
What is the point of this post? Am I concerned with Heifetz or with Brahms? Or neither? Perhaps I am really communicating something about "Heifetz" but not Heifetz. Or maybe something about "Brahms" but not Brahms.
Am I fond of Heifetz or am I fond of "Heifetz?" Am I fond of Brahms or am I fond of "Brahms?" Now my being fond of "Brahms" would be a little freaky -- since I am a Wagnerian. Yes, I admit it, I am a "Jew" who is fond of Wagner.
To the Powers that Be: Try proving that I'm not nuts!
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