© Out of the Norm ¢ STICKS AND stones can break my bones, but call me a name and we’re both almost certain to get a lot of media coverage. Have you noticed how much the word ‘‘bigot"’ is being tossed around today? Why, it’s almost fashionable. It's almost tresudy to- day to be labelled a bigot. But this wasn’t always the case. In my Oxford dictionary the word bigot is to be found between “bignonia’’ and “bigwig.’’ A bignonia, it says, is a genus of plants, with showy, trumpet- shaped flowers. A bigwig, it seems, is a man of high official standing or importance. And so there vou have it. Simply put, a bigot stands be- tween a showy posie and a tall standing guy of some repute. My daughter's Winston Cana- dian Dictionary For Schools places bigot between “‘bight’’ and “bike.” Well, we all know what a bike is, but a bight can mean a loop in a rope. Kind of puts you in mind of an old-fashioned lynching, with a modern twist (ahern!), if you know what [ mean. But then this small, portable book was published in 1964. Almost antiquity now. Before bigot became fasionable. My Oxford lexicon claims bigot isa late 16th century word of unknown origin, and in the middle of the 17th century it was taken to mean a superstitious person. Or a hypocrite. But at about the same time it was also used to describe in a word someone who was ‘‘obstinately and unreasonably wedded to a creed, opinion, or ritual.’’ This was later expanded to sorneone who in the opinion of someone else was intolerant towards others — others, that is, apart from bigots. Notice that the key words are “unreasonable” and ‘‘obstinate.” But the definition of unreasonable really boils down to a personal in- terpretation and a personal judg- ment, does it not? In other words, if you disagree with me, and I am unable to change your opinion to match my own, then, in my mind, you could be a bigot. As for obstinate, the Oxford book defines this as a per- son firm in opinion or purpose, **nertinacious (persistent, resolute) in adhering to one’s own course; .Self-willed.’’ In some circles this was, and is, a highly regarded quality of good character. Today a bigot could be almost anyone else who doesn’t agree with you. Stand fast and firm for your own rights and opinions and someone else is surely going to call you a bigot, racist, sexist, or some- thing else that at least in the mind of the name-caller is equally nox- ious and hopefully wounding. Take Canada’s long-existing twin solitudes, for example. If you're a French-Canadian and take a firm stand for your culture and your heritage, you're a patri- ot. A hero. But if you’re an English-Canadian and suppe7t your own ancestry, you're a bigot. A bum. Take Black pride. Black is beautiful, they say, and i truly believe it is. But show any equal pride in being white and suddenly you’re a pink-skinned, red-necked racist. It’s okay to be black and proud. Or red. Or yellow. Or brown. But if you’re white you’d better bite your tongue and go stand in a dark corner. It’s also a fact that the English population per capita has shrunk considerably in Canada since Con- federation. But dare to say this and you’!l be branded a bigot and racist. You can’t even wear a cartoon pin to poke fun at yourself and your shrinking position without coming under heavy fire (and even though Canada Customs has ruled the pin is okay). Canada, it seems, along with its declining English proportion, has We've got also lost much of its sense of humor. John Crosbie, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, who moonlights as a second-rate, part-time, stand-up comic on the political overcooked chicken and rubber peas circuit, found this out recently when he tried to sing Lib- eral leadership candidate and MP Sheila Copps a name-sake country ballad at a local Conservative bash. The country’s termagantic har- pies were soon after wailing their own tune, crying out for Crosbie’s removal from office and govern- ment as a bigot and male- chauvinist pig. But never mind that all political parties poke good-natured fun at their opposition, especially at the family table. Never mind that the Tequila Sheila tune is a catchy number, and the woman of the song is somewhat of a heroine of sorts. And never mind that Sheila Copps herself has been known to cajl her male opposition ‘‘slime bags”’ and the like. It woufd seem okay to seek special status in the political arena if you're a woman. If the kitchen heat’s too hot, sim- ply turn on a noisy ferninist fan. But stand up as a man and you're Porky the Pig. Oink! Oink! What we need today in Canada is more tolerance and generosity, as Ontario Premier David Peterson says. Not just the tolerance we demand of bigots, but tolerance for the perceived intolerance of so-called bigots. Real bigotry, especially extreme bigotry, is in- tolerable. But let us not play loose with the word, lest it lose all of its meaning for us. We should laugh away the lesser form of commentary we find stupid or distasteful, and save our slings and arrows for the real thing. After all, laughter really can sometimes be the best weapon and medicine. THE NORTH SHORE TALKING Pieter Vanden Bos Branch Manager IN CELLULAR Shirley Egan Cellular Consultant SEE WHAT WE HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU ¢Dollards 1830 MARINE DRIVE, NORTH VANCOUVER, BC. 983-3335 Mon-Fri. 8-5, Sat: 10-4 (located at North Shore Tire Centre) 1g ® AUTHORIZED ‘TEL DISTRIBUTOR 2447 Marine Dive, West Vanecuser _ wont! FROM CONCEPT TO FINISHED PROC ET | Lo 922-0247 men 947-9745 9 ~ Wednesday, March 21, 1990 - North Shore News a uo RECYCLE: RENTING Recvcied paper avatiahle and Florist uo. Corner of Keith-Bewicke-Marine, N.Van. 988-6535 or 988-8082 DWARF JAPANESE EVERGREEN AZALEAS em" (LOADED WITH BUDS) "1 GAL. SIZE 6.99 ea. Nursenyland, STEER MANURE AND MUSHROOM MANURE Use to build up your soil, as a transplanting aid, and fas mulch! , Your choice: & HEATHER (Bloom for years) ea. OUTDOOR POTTING SOIL “Best for your patio pots & flower beds *Fertilized *Weed free BIG 20 L BAGS Big 4” Pot Will bloom all summer long. COUPON CLIPPER {| BQH Orne ANY ONE t 0 (Regularly Priced)! \OUTDOOR TREE OR SHRUBE (One coupon per family order) OFFER EXPIRES MARCH 26th / 90. ERS NY A GN AW Store Hours: 9am-6pm, Mon. thru Friday; _ Sat. 9-6pm; Sundays & Holidays 9am-5pm Sale Ends Mar. 26/90 — While Quanities Last =~