Randy Ray – Introduction
This is a sign in a window in a small town called Sheet Harbour in Nova Scotia. I chose it — firstly to photograph a couple of months ago and secondly for this introduction — primarily because I find it offensive. Offense sparks a lot of thought and discussion, so I am hoping to stimulate that with you, my peers in this course. Obviously, it relates to literacy, but there are other things that relate to the themes of this course: the three types of text used; the indefinite article “a” for “teacher” contrasted with the possessive pronoun “your” used for “military”; the way that the gun pointing at the cabin sign gives that second sign a more sinister meaning; the French sign in the back with the word “découper” (to cut) in it adding some more subtle violence, or perhaps reminding us that we would be reading the sign in French if General Wolfe (our military) hadn’t defeated Montcalm 300 years ago!
I am a teacher with the Toronto District School Board and I have taken a 1/2 time position this year as a Core French/Art/ Music itinerant teacher so I can finish my last 4 MET courses without sacrificing my relationships with my wife, my 2 young boys and my recreational hockey team. I have a keen interest in the way the media frames the message, and how the advent of digital communication is changing the way humans think, interact and remember. I look forward to working with you all, and if you have any thoughts about the sign above, please do share them.
Welcome Randy! So many layers in one artifact. As someone from a Spanish speaking country I definitely relate.
Lol, way to ignite conversation, Randy! I’m surprised the sign doesn’t say, “If you can read this in ‘Murican’, thank your military (and God)!” Note the colo-u-rs embedded in the text, queuing the southern authorship of this propaganda.
And to prove my religious point tied into this ‘Murican’ form of media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq5fdZe4Kn8
Job well done… offended 😉
Hi Randy!
Great to be together in another class, always appreciate your thought provoking posts. You are starting us off with a bang.
Your image reflects for me language politics inherent in the signage – the ‘privilege’ granted to speakers of English and the military force to restrict minority (or ‘other’) language speakers.
Interesting catch Justin about the colours used to fill the font, yet another dimension is steeping the text in a specific geographical and political context.
Briar
Hey Briar and Justin,
Always glad to provoke, and thanks for that video, Thank God for thanking God.