Best of the Week
of June 14, 1998
Here are the most intriguing cross-cultural exchanges either begun or
advanced during the week of June 14, 1998, as selected by Y?
These postings, as well as "Best of the Week" entries from previous
weeks, also can be found in their respective
archives, which we invite you to browse.
There, you will find questions that have received answers, as well as
questions still awaiting responses. We encourage you to answer any
questions relevant to your demographic background, as well as to ask
any provocative question you desire. Answers posted are not
necessarily meant to represent the views of an entire demographic
group, but can provide a window into the insights of an individual
from that group.
First-time users should first make a quick stop at our
guidelines pages for asking and
answering questions.
THE QUESTION:
R351: Why do some black people
call white people "honkies"?
POSTED JUNE 19, 1998
Rick W., Virginia Beach, VA
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THE QUESTION:
D4: I work in a small shop. We
have an occasional customer who is profoundly deaf. His speech is
very difficult to understand, so we usually communicate with notes.
He can lip-read pretty well. Is it impolite to augment my responses
with sign language (which I know very little)? His written language
skills are almost as cryptic as his speech. Am I being impolite to
"dumb-down" my written responses?
POSTED MARCH 29, 1998
M. Peacock, 32 <Arulian@hotmail.com>
Sonora , CA
ANSWER 1:
Your sincere desire to
communicate is the most important thing. Deaf people have a lot of
experience trying various methods to get a message across - let
yourself go with the goal of mutual understanding, and you will
succeed. The best measure is to ask questions that can't be answered
with "yes" or "no." Some deaf people do not know English very well,
so that's why their writing can be hard to understand. (Until very
recently, deaf kids had to learn English solely through speech
reading. More fortunate deaf kids learned a visual language like
American Sign Language first, so they could have a strong language
base from which to learn English.) If you know some sign language,
try signing the words on the note - it may make more sense. Some deaf
people do not know sign language, so if you do sign, a good beginning
would be "KNOW SIGN LITTLE-BIT
ME. OK-[eye gaze]YOU?" (Translation, "I know a little sign language, would you
be amenable to using it?") Whether it's notes or signing, be sure to
use whatever visual cues you may have available. If the customer is
looking for something, ask them to draw a picture. Offer to follow
them to a place in the store if that's what they are asking about.
Mime. Charades. Best of luck! (Studied American Sign Language for
eight years, freelance interpreter for four years.)
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Jesse K., 43, white female, <jesse_the_k@hotmail.com>
Madison, WI
FURTHER NOTICE:
As the brother of a
profoundly deaf man, I would have to say that it depends on the
individual, although frequently the deaf can comprehend written
language better than they can write. This has to do with the fact
that profound deafness often affects one's socialization and learning
skills. Above all, remember: Although a deaf person may not be able
to communicate well in spoken and written word, in all likelihood the
person you ae communicating with is as intelligent as you are.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Tom G., <tgoode@interhop.net>
Toronto, Canada
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I have a hard-of-hearing
child and deaf friends, as well as a few deaf clients at work. From
my experience, many deaf people appreciate anyone who attempts to
communicate with them in their language. I would also encourage you
(and anyone else who reads this) to get some more schooling in
American Sign Language. Most deaf people I know like going into a
store where there are employees who sign. It is just like using any
other language. It also opens up avenues of communication with one of
the most interesting cultures in America.
POSTED JUNE 19, 1998
Tim T., 29 <t2drj@earthlink.net>, Corona, CA
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THE QUESTION:
R237: It seems to me that black
males generally have better physiques than white males. Is this true,
and if so, why?
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
R.M., white female, Jacksonville, FL
ANSWER 1:
I don't know if you are
referring to the general population or to sports figures. Many of the
black and white males I know have terrible physiques. I don't think
one group has a better physique than any other group. If you are
finding that black males are in better shape, you need to broaden
your sample of men. As a longtime gym member in three different
states, I have found that the black male members are in worse shape
than the white male members.
POSTED MAY 4, 1998
Jas, black male <themoas@aol.com>, Pensacola, FL
FURTHER NOTICE:
I would tend to disagree with
Jas' post. As someone who has worked out in many different gyms over
the past 20 years, I have found that the percentage of black men with
great bodies is far greater than that of white men. But this type of
personal opinion is not really useful. I believe the questioner was
inquiring whether blacks had an advantage over white men when it
comes to getting in shape. One must be careful to avoid broad
generalizations and stereotyping in this area, but it is known that
the races differ in their muscle/fat ratio, with races from tropical
climates having lower body fat than those from colder climes, who
evolved with higher body fat for protection. What this means is that
a greater percentage of black men would be able to add lean muscle
mass without adding fat than is true for white men. This is most
clearly evident in bodybuilding competitions. While white men and
black men place equally in contests in which bodybuilders use
steroids, in contests where drug-testing is firmly enforced, blacks
far outplace whites. While one might say that this results from
social and cultural realities (who dedicates themselves to the gym
and who doesn't), the fact that this discrepancy is not seen in
contests that allow steroids indicates white men need
growth-enhancing drugs more often than do black men in order to
compete.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Mark M. white <marknyc@hotmail.com>, New York, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I think it is important to
take into account the degree to which public perception has been
shaped in the last 25 years. Since the early 1970s, one of African
Americans' first significant post-civil rights successes has been the
integration of American professional sports. Some sports now have a
50 percent or higher percentage of black athletes. This is a powerful
media image, and one that can create in the mind of the public a
perception that African Americans in general exhibit the qualities
that are most seen in the sports/media. I would say that African
Americans are no healthier relative to other cultural groups, only
that their public image is currently dominated by an image of the
black athelete.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Michael <msmacharg@aol.com>, Washington, DC
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I guess I'm not really asking
about black males who work out in gyms or who are sports stars. I'm
talking about the general population of black males and white males
that I see in everyday life. In that situation, I tend to see many
more black males with good physiques than white males. So it's not an
observation I'm deriving from the media (I don't watch TV) or from a
small sampling, but from what I'm seeing around me day to day.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
R.M., white female, Jacksonville, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
To Mark: You made some good
points, as each race has had to adapt to the local environment in
which they lived. However, even though genetics can give you the
potential, hard work and dedication are still the only way to
succeed. For the average black male, genetics don't seem to be
helping at all when it comes to trying to "get lean." I wasn't
talking about "bodybuilders" as you noted, just the ordinary guy
coming from work who hits the gym for a quick workout. I tend to
agree with Michael that the media has given a perception that blacks
have better physiques than the general population (it's hard not to
see this in magazines or newspapers). Although R.M. states it's what
she is seeing around her, I would like her to give specific examples.
I could make the opposite case in my town, where I find more white
men working without shirts on (taking advantage of the warm sun) than
black men, and the white men have good physiques. I would have to
look just a little bit harder, and I probably would find just as many
blacks with good physiques.
POSTED MAY 7, 1998
Jas, black <themoas@aol.com>, Pensacola, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I, too, have a sense there
are more black men for whom muscular development comes naturally,
without the requirement of concentrated gym work (despite all the
overweight black men with high blood pressure). I know of no research
to back up my impression. The possibility brings up an idea that's
highly volatile: Genetic difference. Blacks endured the Middle
Passage (often-lethal transportation on slave ships to America) and,
once here, were subjected to the same kind of selective breeding as
farm animals. Because both were hideous abuses and the latter was one
of the most offensive aspects of slavery, even broaching the subject
raises ire. Still, some believe these realities led to lasting
genetic alteration. As I said: A highly explosive concept, and no one
has conclusive data. Racists use it to "prove" that blacks have
genetically lower intelligence and other negative traits. Others cite
it as the reason for black people's athletic excellence. I have no
idea what's true, but I wonder.
POSTED MAY 11, 1998
Will H., Euro-American, 48, gay, Dallas, TX
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
Do black men have better
physiques? Hmmm, I'm a black woman and I've generally noticed that
myself. Whether that is a fact, I don't know. But what I do know is
that black men have higher levels of testosterone than white men.
This is a medically established fact that researchers believe is part
of the reason black men are at a higher risk for prostate cancer.
Now, testosterone effects muscle development and (during adolescent
years) penile development. This may be the root of many black male
attributes. However, the issue is so controversial it is rarely
discussed. I hope this sheds a little light on your question.
POSTED JUNE 17, 1998
Sandy, 30, black female <ThPanther@aol.com>, Elizabeth, NJ
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THE QUESTION:
R345: I'm an astronomer and give
planetarium shows with star legends from around the world that I've
learned from books and other white astronomers. I've read that some
Native American cultures view stories as I do physical property -
telling them without permission would be stealing. Would I steal by
using the stories? It feels worse to exclude the stories and, thus,
First Nation cultures.
POSTED JUNE 17, 1998
Joann B., 45 <jballbach@sprintmail.com>, Canton, OH
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THE QUESTION:
GE41: Why do women spend so much
time, energy and money on their appearances, but then become upset
when a man stares at them? And do women really become upset at this,
or are they just pretending?
POSTED JUNE 15, 1998
John, 27, Riverside, CA
ANSWER 1:
I like to dress up and look
nice because it makes me feel good. I'm not dressing up for men, I'm
dressing up for myself. I'm not asking to be stared at. Besides,
staring is just plain rude. There are more discreet ways of
appreciating someone's beauty.
POSTED JUNE 16, 1999
T.H., 23, female, East Lansing, MI
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THE QUESTION:
R126: It seems to me that people of Asian (not Asian-American)
descent stand closer to other people in public than do Westerners.
Why is this?
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
S. Cook <taffy@drizzle.com>
Seattle, WA
ANSWER 1:
I had not heard this of
Asians, but I know it's true of Semitic peoples (Jews and Arabs). In
the West, people's personal space is roughly arm's length. In the
Middle East, personal space is half-an-arm's length. That's why if
you get into a conversation with a Jewish or Arabic person, you may
find yourself moving backward until you are literally up against a
wall.
POSTED APRIL 3, 1998
Steve, KS
FURTHER NOTICE:
I am a New York-born Jew and
have never heard nor seen that Semitic peoples as a group invade
one's personal space more than any other group. It is true that Jews
are known to use their hands to emphasize points in a conversation,
the old joke being if you force a Jew to sit on his hands he can't
talk. You can also make the same observation about Italians. However,
these are generalizations not to be taken seriously. If someone who
had never reviewed our history were taught this as fact and then saw
movies of President Kennedy, they could draw the conclusion he was,
through his often used mannerism of pointing his finger, our first
Jewish president.
POSTED JUNE 15, 1998
Alan R., 45, Jewish <bix2@flash.net>, San Antonio, TX
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THE QUESTION:
RE55: How can the Ku Klux Klan
and other white supremacists claim to be anti-Semitic if they worship
a Jewish man named Jesus? That seems like a contradiction. Could
someone explain how these groups can dislike Jewish people and still
claim to be Christians?
POSTED MAY 17, 1998
David O., 31, white, agnostic, Nashville, TN
ANSWER 1:
It will probably take a
person of that ilk to answer it. My late grandfather was such a
person. We were philosophically miles apart, yet we would both claim
we were Christians. I suspect he would have told you Jesus was a
revolutionary, rejecting Judaism. He was the original Christian. The
Bible doesn't support that belief at all. Mainstream Christianity has
something called "Systematic Theology," in which all that we know
from the Bible is examined carefully, and then a consistent sets of
beliefs or canon is drawn up from what we understand. I would like to
see how the Ku Klux clan wrestles with the inconsistencies of its
theology.
POSTED JUNE 9, 1998
Stu, 42, stu@interactministries.org, Portland , OR
FURTHER NOTICE:
Just because someone claims
to be a Christian, it doesn't mean they fully or accurately
understand, follow or even care about the instructions Christ gave.
While I consider myself a Christian, I would never align myself with
the hatred of such groups as the KKK. Why do they hate the Jews yet
profess to follow a Jew? They're confused by a cultural hatred they
don't even realize they're enveloped in.
POSTED JUNE 11, 1998
David B., 40, born-again Christian, Riverside, CA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
To David O. (questioner): As
a former white supremacist, I can tell you that the movement does not
consider Jesus to be a Jew. KKK members will say there is no
scripture that specifically says Jesus was a Jew, but that he was a
white man, descended from Isaac and not Esau.
POSTED JUNE 16, 1998
Kerry N. <kerrynoble@aol.com>, Ft Worth, TX
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THE QUESTION:
GD16: What is the real meaning of
the word "schmuck"? I've heard it just means "idiot," and then I've
heard it means something really, really bad.
POSTED JUNE 15, 1998
K.B., 28, Los Angeles, CA
ANSWER 1:
As far as I know, schmuck is
a Yiddish word that means "large penis." Putz, on the other hand,
means "little penis." I once asked my grandmother (a longtime speaker
of Yiddish) if this was true, but getting an 80-plus-year-old Jewish
woman to use the word penis can be difficult. She did smile and blush
and refuse to answer, however, so I assumed if I wasn't exactly
right, it was close enough.
POSTED JUNE 16, 1998
Mark B., Jew. <bakum@bigfoot.com>, San Francisco, CA
FURTHER NOTICE:
A schmuck is literally a
penis. A putz is the tip of the penis. Schmuck has come to mean
"idiot" and putz a "total idiot."
POSTED JUNE 16, 1998
A.B., 40, Jewish, Baltimore, MD
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THE QUESTION:
SO39: If attraction to the same
sex is determined by genetics, either entirely or substantially, then
why is it that after hundreds or thousands of generations, this
genetic trait has not disappeared from the genetic landscape? If
homosexuals and lesbians, on average, don't reproduce, why would this
genetic trait still exist in the human species?
POSTED MAY 27, 1998
Doug, whose brother is gay, CA
ANSWER 1:
I'm not gay but I have
studied genetics. It is quite easy for genes that carry detrimental
effects (in terms of producing offspring) to become established.
Think of how many lethal genetic diseases still exist. We have two
alleles (one from each parent) for virtually every gene, but only one
is expressed. The one that is expressed is called dominant, or if
both are expressed, they are co-dominant. The allele that is not
expressed is called recessive.
If a "gay" gene were recessive, it
would be extremely easy to spread in a population. Only when two of
the "gay" alleles were together would they be expressed, because a
"straight" gene would override it. There are also ways in which
dominant "gay" alleles could be relatively common, even if we did not
take behavior into consideration. For example, it may be a common
mutation.
If we look at behavior, it is even
easier to see how "gay" genes may spread. In Western culture, some
people who are gay try to pretend to themselves and other people that
they are not, and thus often produce offspring.
I'm not sure there is convincing
evidence for the "gay" gene yet. And I do not think that all the
answers to questions about our behavior are in our genes.
POSTED JUNE 13, 1998
Beth, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
FURTHER NOTICE:
You need to understand how
genetics works in order to understand why homosexuals don't have to
reproduce in order to remain a part of the population. Your reasoning
- that only a homosexual could genetically produce a homosexual -
isn't accurate, since brown-eyed parents can produce a blue-eyed
baby. If there is a gene for homosexuality, it could be recessive,
meaning it only shows up in certain conditions, and could be
"carried" by someone who is heterosexual. Current research into a
genetic "marker" for homosexuality has found that this marker (if
real) seems to be carried only by women. While they can pass it to a
son or daughter, only the daughter can carry it to the next
generation. Also, if a gene exists, a parent would transfer it to all
of his/her children - some might be gay, some might just be carriers
of the gene, but be heterosexual, and pass the gene on to their
children. If you really want to understand how recessive/dominant
genes work, and how traits can be passed on even by those who don't
have the trait, search the web for a genetics primer - here's one
that's a little complex, but it's the best I could find:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/Acad/Dental/roliver/genetics.html.
POSTED JUNE 13, 1998
Mark M., gay male, marknyc@hotmail.com, NY, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
To Doug: Many gays and
lesbians reproduce. I am the proud father of a beautiful teenage
daughter and a handsome teenage son. You seem to imply that if it is
indeed a product of genetics, homosexuality is an undesirable trait
and that evolution should have "fixed" the problem by now. Perhaps
the problem lies not in the trait of homosexuality but in the way
many people preceive it. My advice: Respect your brother for who he
is, accept your brother for "all" that he is and love him, period.
Later in life, you will be glad that you did.
POSTED JUNE 14, 1998
Steve N. <blaster7@hotmail.com>, Dallas, TX
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THE QUESTION:
R291: Why does it seem that many
younger blacks have little respect for whites, when older blacks, who
lived through segregation, are completely different in this
regard?
POSTED MAY 26, 1998
Herb C., 69, Lehigh Acres, FL
ANSWER 1:
Younger blacks have no memory
of legislated oppression. Logically speaking, they have no reason to
fear or admire whites, so therefore, no cause to pay any respect.
POSTED JUNE 10, 1998
Elliott, 44, black, franrod@wavenet.com, Los Angeles, CA
FURTHER NOTICE:
I think it's safe to say that
some younger blacks, just as younger people of almost any ethnic
group, tend to have little respect for anyone, including themselves.
Just look at their videos or listen to their music. They are who and
what we adults have created.
POSTED JUNE 10, 1998
V.B., 41, black female, Miami, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Older black people have lived
throught segregation and racism, younger black people are just
getting a taste of it and don't like it, but who does? They have the
right to be angry with white people but by being angry with all white
people, they are no better than the people who picked on them because
of their race.
POSTED JUNE 11, 1998
L.C., 15, white male, lord_chaos_1@hotmail.com, VT
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I confess to an intial
knee-jerk reaction to your question because I was wondering if you
felt you deserved respect from blacks because you were white, or
older, or both. Younger blacks probably don't "respect" white people
because we have less to fear. Blacks who grew up in segregated times
lived with the very real threat of beatings, incarceration and death
at the hands of whites for minor infractions that would be absurd
today (for example, making too much eye contact or saying too many
words to a white person, especially a white woman).
After the civil rights movement,
black people evolved more of a sense of self-awareness, political
power and a bit of rebelliousness (which is not limited to young
blacks), as well as resentment at what some blacks feel is a lopsided
economic and social structure. However, your question is very broad.
Could you 1) Give a specific instance where you felt you were
disrespected by a young black person? 2) Describe how you feel an
older black person might have reacted?, and 3) Discuss why you feel
you deserved better? I would like to know the circumstance.
For the record, many blacks your age
have the same attitude about younger folks regarding the lack of
respect they seem to have for elders. It could simply be a
generational problem, not a racial one.
POSTED JUNE 11, 1998
Mark A., 39, black, Los Angeles, CA
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I believe blacks over 50
repect and value themselves far more than blacks 35 and under. Blacks
who lived during the Jim Crow years had to pull together to overcome
the ills of this society. Blacks who were qualified for a scientific
or political post were denied them because of the color of their
skin. But in this post '60s liberal, hippie, socialist era we live
in, anything goes, so everything does. Inner-city blacks don't mind
the poverty they live in, or the gangs that hold cities hostage.
Mediocrity is accepted in the black community (if it were not
accepted or tolerated, you would not see it. Plain and simple). I
will never let drug/gangstas move into my neighborhood. I would
rather die than live under black or white oppression. Spoiling the
child has led to nothing but havoc in white and black
neighborhoods.
POSTED JUNE 12, 1998
John, 31, black, San Francisco
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
Although I am not old enough
to have lived through segregation, I feel that the "respect" that you
think comes from older blacks is actually fear. During slavery and
segregation, most blacks were taught through their parents, whites
and society that whites were better and deserved more respect than
blacks. And actions like not giving any eye contact, calling whites
"sir" and "madam" (no matter their ages), and doing whatever whites
told them to do are not examples of respect, but something taught to
make whites feel superior to blacks. And yes, there are young blacks
who do still respect older Americans regardless of race, position or
power. Please do not judge us (the young and black) from the few bad
examples you may have encountered.
POSTED JUNE 13, 1998
Cheryl B, 22, African-American female, CherylB4U@AOL.COM, Memphis,
TN
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
I think this is because older
blacks are afraid of whites and the younger ones aren't. Older blacks
have been put in the place of feeling inferior - which translates
into respect. Younger blacks know they are equal to whites, which
translates into what you perceive as less respect. Do you feel the
older or younger blacks need to have respect for whites in general?
What about older whites having respect for older and/or younger
blacks? For that matter, what about younger whites having respect for
older whites?
POSTED JUNE 13, 1998
Gordon D., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I think that blacks who lived
through segregation were not showing "respect" for whites but fear of
what whites would do to them if they didn't behave a certain way
toward them. You are an elderly man, and I would treat you the same
way I would treat my grandfather based on age, not race. I have just
as much respect for anyone who respects me. I am young, and I don't
think you mean respect in the same way I do. What you are talking
about sounds like a patronizing, bow-and- scrape type of behavior.
Young blacks don't have to kiss up because it is not necessary
anymore. Blacks in the past didn't really have any certain respect
for whites because they were white. They let you think that in order
to keep the peace for themselves. Everything is not always what it
seems. It is always easier to let a person think they are in charge,
even if they are not. For reference read We Wear the Mask
by Paul Lawrance Dunbar. It talks about how blacks fool whites into
seeing what they want to see. It was written just after the end of
slavery, therefore I would think that blacks have felt that same way
about whites for some time.
POSTED JUNE 14, 1998
Carmela 29, black <pecola@hotmail.com>, Atlanta, GA
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THE QUESTION:
R251: Please help me in a
delicate situation: With Chinese names, how does one know which is
the surname and which is the given name? I am in correspondence with
a person and am not sure how to address the letter. Also, I can't
tell gender. I know I should just ask, but feel awkward and
embarrassed to do so.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Giah S. <Nayvay@aol.com>, Detroit, MI
ANSWER 1:
I have lived in Asia for 10
years and am a fluent speaker of Mandarin Chinese. The general rule
is that Chinese people write their last name first. For example, if
the last name is "Chen" and first name is "Mei Ling," then they will
write "Chen Mei Ling." However, it is possible that, in anticipation
of a Western reader, they may write the name "Western-style," such as
"Mei Ling Chen." Because there are a relatively small number of
Chinese surnames, it is generally possible for a Chinese speaker to
determine which name is the surname. But I am certain the person with
whom you are corresponding will understand your question and would
not be offended if you asked which name is the surname. The same goes
for gender. I have found that even Chinese people have difficulty
determining the gender simply by looking at the Chinese name, unless
it is a commonly used female or male name or unless the Chinese
Characters are written out and are unambiguously female or male in
nature.
POSTED JUNE 16, 1998
B. Lee <brooklee@hotmail.com>, Hong Kong
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THE QUESTION:
D1: I am interested in how the
average person views people who stutter. Do they perceive the
handicap as mental, physical or whatever? I am 55 and a former severe
stutterer till I was 22. I also have an adult son who still
stutters.
POSTED MARCH 11, 1998
Jim Y., Walled Lake, MI
ANSWER 1:
I would have to say I view
stuttering as a physical condition. I have however, seen a stuttering
friend treated as though he were mentally disabled. People become
impatient waiting for him to finish a word or sentence and attempt to
finish it for him or excuse themselves while he is in mid-sentence to
speak to someone else. They will often try to speak slowly to him and
loudly as though he were deaf. This is very frustrating to him and
devalues the intelligence he possesses.
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
Lori C., 33, Bellevue, NE
FURTHER NOTICE:
I can't answer this as an
"average" person, because I am a person who stutters. Personally, I
believe the cause of stuttering can be either physical or
psychological, or both. My stutter, for example, completely
disappears when I am alone, or when I speak to my dogs. I stutter
worse when I am under stress (like when I have to verbally defend
myself). These characteristics seem to me to be psychological in
nature. I participated in group speech therapy while I was in high
school and came in contact with very severe stutterers, some of whom
couldn't utter a sound without stuttering, regardless of the
situation. These people, I'm convinced, had a physiological defect
that caused them to stutter.
POSTED MARCH 25, 1998
John H., 27, white male <jhopkins@osscorp.com>
Farmington Hills, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I am a speech-language
pathologist, and people do tend to be impatient with people who
stutter (disfluencies). I think a good starting point is for the
person who stutters to let his communication partners know he/she
stutters. This takes pressure off the person who stutters ("the big
secret is out") and it also lets the other person know the situation
and hopefully be less critical. If needed after the initial
explanation, the person who stutters can let the listener know he
understands everything, hears well but has some difficulties getting
some words out. It is also important for the person who stutters (and
the rest of us) to realize that nobody has completely fluent speech -
not actors, newscasters - nobody.
POSTED JUNE 15, 1998
L.K. <Do not post>
San Diego , CA
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