FHSTheFlash The Flash Volume 46, Issue 2 December 2005 | Page 4

Opinion 4 The From your Editor... Fraser Flash By Nicole Hinchman ‘06 Visit The Flash online at: www.myhighschooljournalsim.org/ mi/fraser/fhs Editor-in-Chief Nicki Hinchman Assistant Editors Kristen Schatow Alleysha Tucker Photo Editor Kyle Snarski Exchange Editor Petia Kapintcheva Business Manager Amanda Dupure Web Editor Andrew Kauffman Web Master Aaron Hamel Flash Reporters Ashley Bletch Paul Digiovanni Robert Druzynski Aaron Hamel Arthur McCall John Milby Jerica Pitts Sarah Zalewski Adviser James Flanagan About Us The purpose of the Flash is to inform and entertain our audience, which includes the entire community, on subjects that may affect our readers. We also aim to be an open forum for the audience to be heard and make comments and observations. It is our intent that we provide this information in a clear, meaningful, and journalistic way. The Flash is a member of the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA). Editorial Policy The editorial board is the decisionmaking group for the newspaper staff. It includes the editor-in-chief, assistant editors, and all other writers, web editors, and photographers. The board is in charge of making the decisions on what will go into the newspaper. If a controversial issue arises, it is the common assumption that there will be nothing published in the newspaper that is libelous, obscene, copyrighted, disrupting, or advocating illegal activities. Contact Us At the Flash, we encourage letters to the editor so that our readers can cooperate with us to make a better newspaper. Any signed letter of which is not libelous, obscene, or regarding defamation or incitement may be accepted to be published. Letters are subject to edit for grammar and content if necessary. Please keep letters 250 words or less. Letters can also be submitted in the box outside of the journalism room or in the main office, as well as via e-mail to [email protected] Letters to the Editor should be addressed to: Letter to the Editor , The Flash 34270 Garfield Fraser, MI 48026 The sound of my foot impatiently tapping on the ground echoed throughout the department store as I waited with fellow holiday shoppers to reach the checkout counter. While waiting for the glorious words of “next please” to be shouted in my direction, I was shaken from a daze by the words “stop acting retarded!” I whirled around to catch a mother hunching over a stroller, scolding her toddler. This incident is just one of many I have witnessed where a politically incorrect term (or just an offensive word) has been used in public, starting with the halls of FHS. It is not uncommon to be walking to class (or even in class!) and hear words such as “retarded,” “fag,” “pimp,” or any other derogatory term imaginable. What comes most surprising to me is that these words are not only used in a negative manner, but they are actually used with a positive connotation. Apparently, popular culture has succeeded in officially warping the minds of our generation into believing that these words are acceptable. A great example to show how pop culture exemplifies the use of offensive language is a popular television show on MTV labeled “Pimp My Ride.” The dictionary defines the word “pimp” as a “man who solicits clients for a prostitute.” Believe it or not, there was a time when the use of derogatory words was banned from the use of the media. Once exposed to the public, these words gradually lost the negative connation that they originally possessed. If the connotation of the word “pimp” had not changed over time, I firmly believe that fewer people would really want their ride “pimped.” I’ll be the first to admit that I have had my share of slipups, but what about those who have yet to grasp the concept of proper etiquette? Is it a matter of bad means good, cool is not, and pimp means a positive? Or have we become desensitized to words that make our parents blush and the user seem ignorant? We are leaders to our generation by example and I think it’s time to step up to the plate. December 2005 TONGUE UNTIED By Robb Druzynski ’06 Flash Columnist It was that time of year again and the teachers were found without a contract like always. I would have liked to have found the sympathy for them deep within my heart, however, my sympathy was distracted by what seemed like their immature approach to attain a contract. Their attempt to bring the issues into the school and distract the learning environment was only hurting the students who give them a job to begin with. As a student, I’m begging the teachers to leave my fellow classmates and me out of their problems in the future. Before I discuss my feelings about the conduct of the FHS staff, I would like to start by thanking those tea 6