A Worthy Cause (Open)
May 31, 2010 20:37:48 GMT -5
Post by Joshua Bernstein on May 31, 2010 20:37:48 GMT -5
Meta-human. What, exactly, was that term meant to evoke? In the simplest form it meant those humans who had abilities inexplicable, abilities that their ungifted counterparts could never hope to achieve. But there were other, more sinister connotations, implications of a division based not on powers but on humanity.
Human was a word that ought to stand on its own. Meta-human. Sub-human. Humanoid. These terms all implied a lack of humanity on the part of the subject, something resembling humanity but apart from it. After all, what was the opposite of a meta-human? Few would answer non-meta-human; For most, the answer would simply be human, or at worst normal human, and this was simply unacceptable.
Pilot Ridge, Vermont wouldn't have been his first choice as a place to begin major social reform, but it did have the benefit of being the heart of the meta-human community (or at least their center of education, which might as well have been the same thing.) It ought to be easy to convince the locals to discard a term so obviously offensive. It should have been. Somehow, though, he was under the impression that he wasn't being taken at all seriously, and this realization vexed him. Why must it always be such a challenge to make people realize that simple words could have power and that therefore choice of words was important. When words labeled and divided then one's choices were even more important, as some labels were less respectful than others. Recognizing a difference and having words to express that difference wasn't wrong, but whether a word had positive or negative connotations had to be taken into consideration.
Hence why he was currently lounging outside the first coffee shop he'd found, puffing furiously at a cigarette, glaring at nothing in particular. Perhaps if people had merely dismissed him, instead of attempting to make "helpful" suggestions (only, how helpful these suggestions were intended to be was suspect) then he might not have sulked about it quite so much. As it was, he was irked that anyone would think it was appropriate to offer up genetically challenged as an alternative to meta-human.
"How is that better? How is that acceptable?![/b]" He complained, gesticulating vaguely, in danger of burning holes in the clothes of anyone who ventured too close. "There has to be a better word, a better division. Something that doesn't assume they're outside humanity."
He turned to the nearest person, pointing. "You! You agree, don't you?" And then, realizing he hadn't clarified what they were supposed to be agreeing with he added. "Is Meta-human not an offensive term? Gifted and non-gifted would be better choices. Or powered and non-powered. Let's stop this tacit assumption that these so-called meta-humans merely resemble humanity but aren't part of it."
Human was a word that ought to stand on its own. Meta-human. Sub-human. Humanoid. These terms all implied a lack of humanity on the part of the subject, something resembling humanity but apart from it. After all, what was the opposite of a meta-human? Few would answer non-meta-human; For most, the answer would simply be human, or at worst normal human, and this was simply unacceptable.
Pilot Ridge, Vermont wouldn't have been his first choice as a place to begin major social reform, but it did have the benefit of being the heart of the meta-human community (or at least their center of education, which might as well have been the same thing.) It ought to be easy to convince the locals to discard a term so obviously offensive. It should have been. Somehow, though, he was under the impression that he wasn't being taken at all seriously, and this realization vexed him. Why must it always be such a challenge to make people realize that simple words could have power and that therefore choice of words was important. When words labeled and divided then one's choices were even more important, as some labels were less respectful than others. Recognizing a difference and having words to express that difference wasn't wrong, but whether a word had positive or negative connotations had to be taken into consideration.
Hence why he was currently lounging outside the first coffee shop he'd found, puffing furiously at a cigarette, glaring at nothing in particular. Perhaps if people had merely dismissed him, instead of attempting to make "helpful" suggestions (only, how helpful these suggestions were intended to be was suspect) then he might not have sulked about it quite so much. As it was, he was irked that anyone would think it was appropriate to offer up genetically challenged as an alternative to meta-human.
"How is that better? How is that acceptable?![/b]" He complained, gesticulating vaguely, in danger of burning holes in the clothes of anyone who ventured too close. "There has to be a better word, a better division. Something that doesn't assume they're outside humanity."
He turned to the nearest person, pointing. "You! You agree, don't you?" And then, realizing he hadn't clarified what they were supposed to be agreeing with he added. "Is Meta-human not an offensive term? Gifted and non-gifted would be better choices. Or powered and non-powered. Let's stop this tacit assumption that these so-called meta-humans merely resemble humanity but aren't part of it."
