Proclamations & Pesky Usage Disconnects
By Roberta Rosenberg on May 13, 2009 in In Appreciation, Just Thinking, Language Arts
The read itself is nice, laudatory as these things go. But they really should have run the full text by Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s Chief of Staff and Head Rep of all things Hebraic. Here’s why.
Notice the “… in the year our Lord…?” Well, this is something of a dilemma for us Jewish folks. So we tend to use Before the Common Era (BCE) and After the Common Era (ACE) as a way of hinting at the traditional nomenclature used for formal documents.
Of course, no harm done. Reminds me of last year’s White House Hanukkah card with the lovely illustration of the tholiday ree being delivered to the front doors of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The heart is in the right place and in plural society that counts for quite a lot.
Still … had Rahm actually reviewed the proclamation draft he might have noodled in the margin, “… in the year of our Lord Five Thousand Six Hundred Sixty-Nine, …”
Just saying.
Harry | May 14, 2009 | Reply
I agree that the heart is in the right place. You would expect a little more sensitivity from a Democratic White House, but who can know how to address ALL constituents? After all, government and legal documents are mired in archaic proclamation prose.
I passed this on to couple of other Buddhist friends for a reaction and received the typical, “Huh? Oh, yeah! Our Lord. Cool!” They were just happy to see another “minority” group receive recognition. Perhaps we are moving in the right direction.
My request is simply this — Help us keep a hand on the pulse of our humanity. Thanks for your review and for bringing this to light. Large things can happen as a result of small insights.
Roberta Rosenberg | May 14, 2009 | Reply
@Harry – I like your thinking and your turn of phrase – Help us keep a hand on the pulse of our humanity. I promise to do my part.