from the editor This week I received a letter from a reader who was upset that I used the phrase “red headed stepchild” to describe someone who had caused some “unrest” in our community and would likely do it again. The writer of the letter asked that I not publish her letter and I will respect her wishes, but I feel that I should address what she had to say.
In my response to her, I wrote:
As for the mention of the “red headed stepchild”; well, the term is actually what I thought was a common term in these parts. I’ve heard the term all my life and I was born and raised right here in this area. Perhaps I should clear up the terminology.
A couple of definitions of the term “stepchild” attained from the internet at dictionary.com are:
“step·child (stěp'chīld')
something that does not receive appropriate care, respect, or attention.
any person, organization, affiliate, project, etc., that is not properly treated, supported, or appreciated.”
From urbandictionary.com:
Red Headed Stepchild
A term that originated out of the common mistreatment and social ostracism of redheaded individuals (gingers). A redheaded individual born into (legitamately or not), or adopted into a family of non-redheads was typically subject to physical and emotional abuse, and usually short handed when it came to financial matters in the family, such as the estate or any savings the family had acquired. Today, the term can be applied to an individual or group of individuals who are outcasts, or are typically dealt the worst hand in society.
And, as for the origin, from chacha.com:
The origin of the phrase "red haired step child" dates to the 1830's & 40's when Irish emigrants began arriving in America.
So, ma’am, hopefully you will see that I did not use the term to say that red haired individuals are troublemakers. I also did not use the term to imply that stepchildren are bad. I was a stepchild and (contrary to what some people may think) I believe I was a good child.
I hope that the readers understand that common terminology will be used to get a point across. I am sure that Jesus used the terminology of his time to get His message to the people.
And before anyone gets the idea that I am comparing my words to those of Jesus Christ, I am not. I am simply saying that words are a way that we communicate and the best way (in my opinion) to communicate effectively is to use the words that the person or persons (i.e. you, the reader) use in your everyday life. I am but a simple man; thus using simple terminology.
So I sincerely apologize to you and anybody else who misunderstood the implication of my words. I believe the “red headed stepchild” that I was referring to in the editorial feels that he is an outcast in the community who is typically dealt the worst hand in society and that he feels that he is not properly treated, supported or appreciated. So, I think, the term is appropriate. It is not a literal description of him, it is figurative. Nonetheless, he is a part of our community, thus a part of our family.
I am not trying to justify my choice of words. I am merely trying to explain why the words were used.
The author of the letter said something else in her letter that I have heard many times in the past few weeks that I felt that I should address. She pointed out that I say in my flag that Jesus Christ is my inspiration. She went on (as others have done) to admonish me for my words after crediting my Savior as my inspiration.
Well, dear reader, I will not apologize for publically saying that Jesus Christ is my inspiration. By the same respect, I will not remove the credit from my flag. Look to your left and you will see that it is still there. You will be able to see it each and every week that I am fortunate enough to print an issue.
I do hope that you understand that I am not trying to say that I am perfect or that I am any different that any other christian. I make mistakes. If you’ve read the Observer for any length of time I am sure that you’ve seen many times where I actually point out that I am human and do make mistakes (and am often sarcastic about it).
I do not profess to be the speaker for this community or to represent anybody elses views, values, attitudes or beliefs. I express my opinion when I write an editorial. That is all that it is, myopinion. We all have one. Agree or disagree, I do often express mine. But, by the same respect, I offer any reader the opportunity to send me their opinion with the understanding that I will publish it on these pages whether I agree with it or not.
I don’t mind if you disagree with what I say. that is one of the things that is so wonderful about this society that we live in - everyone has the right to their own opinion. We can share ideas and views with each other. We can communicate. Does my faith in Jesus Christ mean that I have to publish a paper that is filled entirely with sermons? Am I to analyze each and every word that I write and consider if it will offend someone due to the phrasing or any hidden meaning that can be interpreted from those words?
I think that there will be someone out there who will be able to find fault with a word or group of words that are used in this paper each and every week. Again, I don’t profess to be perfect. And my last name is “Lisenby”, it isn’t “Faultless”. I know that and understand it.
I also know that there are people who don’t think that I should “claim” to have Jesus Christ as my Savior and my inspiration and then use words that can in any way be misinterpreted. To those people I say “I’m sorry.” The bottom line is that I do believe that Jesus Christ is the one true Son of God and that he died for my sins as well as yours.
I know that in my heart.
I’ve always felt that you can choose any passage from the bible and have 100 preachers read the passage and get 100 different interpretations from the passage. The Word of God is a personal thing. Although, I feel, it is pretty direct in its message, it is still open for each and every individual to read and to understand for what it instills into their heart.
So I know that interpretation is the key. The meaning of my flag is to praise Jesus Christ and to let you, the reader, know that I am proud to be a christian. My upbringing; my life experiences and my interpretation of the message that I have received from the bible are what direct me through this life. If I make mistakes along the way, I know that all I have to do is ask my Lord for forgiveness and He will forgive me.
I also know that all I can do whenever I offend someone is to ask for their forgiveness and hope that they will forgive me. So, if the words that I used in last weeks editorial offended you I ask for your forgiveness. I honestly did not think that using the term “red headed stepchild” would offend anyone. I didn’t even think it would bother the person that the words were referring to.
But if you are looking for an apology for my flag...well, there will be none. I will praise Jesus Christ and will continue to give Him the credit for being my hope and inspiration. Without Him I would be lost.
If being an admitted christian is wrong in some people’s opinion, I guess I will have to live with that. The alternative is not something that I would choose to live (or die) with.
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