Song removed from Young Women's curriculum

[bsjkki]

I really am not a proponent of political correctness but...I think it is a good thing the church removed this song. The message is a good one but the use of the word "white" repeatedly is problematic. I think this is an example on the importance of having diverse input in the correlation committee. http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/4709707-155/lds-church-yanks-song-white-after Sometimes, what one "hears" is not exactly the same based on gender or race. It reminds of this other non-mormon article about soccer and their campaign to increase interest in young women. https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/12/the-fa-released-absolutely-clueless-and-sexist-rec.html

[Jeanne]

1 hour ago, bsjkki said:

I really am not a proponent of political correctness but...I think it is a good thing the church removed this song. The message is a good one but the use of the word "white" repeatedly is problematic. I think this is an example on the importance of having diverse input in the correlation committee. http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/4709707-155/lds-church-yanks-song-white-after Sometimes, what one "hears" is not exactly the same based on gender or race. It reminds of this other non-mormon article about soccer and their campaign to increase interest in young women. https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/12/the-fa-released-absolutely-clueless-and-sexist-rec.html

Glad they caught this.  It could have been so.o.o bad.  There has got to be another word for purity..than white. 

[bluebell]

14 minutes ago, Jeanne said:

Glad they caught this.  It could have been so.o.o bad.  There has got to be another word for purity..than white. 

Most songs rely on cadence and rhyme to make a song good.  Replacing a one syllable word like "white" with a three syllable word like "purity" is probably harder than it sounds.  But maybe it would have been possible.

But yes, it's probably good it was pulled.

 

[Jeanne]

10 minutes ago, bluebell said:

Most songs rely on cadence and rhyme to make a song good.  Replacing a one syllable word like "white" with a three syllable word like "purity" is probably harder than it sounds.  But maybe it would have been possible.

But yes, it's probably good it was pulled.

 

I was thinking of the word ..clean. 

You can be clean..you can be clean.

Within that white light..births a newness

it seems.

For He that forgives and cleanses the soul

Does not color the sin..nor closes the door.

You can be clean..You can be clean.

Come in from the darkness..and let Him redeem.

That white light is your shining..your hopes and your dreams.

As a daughter of God..You can be clean.

 

 

 

[bluebell]

1 hour ago, Jeanne said:

I was thinking of the word ..clean. 

You can be clean..you can be clean.

Within that white light..births a newness

it seems.

For He that forgives and cleanses the soul

Does not color the sin..nor closes the door.

You can be clean..You can be clean.

Come in from the darkness..and let Him redeem.

That white light is your shining..your hopes and your dreams.

As a daughter of God..You can be clean.

 

 

 

Too bad they weren't thinking like that. Clean works well!

[Calm]

Color is a powerful visual image.  It is too bad that white has racial connotations as well as purity.

so inaccurate too.  If the segment of the population of which I am one was called beige, it would be so much better.

[bsjkki]

38 minutes ago, Calm said:

Color is a powerful visual image.  It is too bad that white has racial connotations as well as purity.

so inaccurate too.  If the segment of the population of which I am one was called beige, it would be so much better.

My husband just joked that with my Scandinavian heritage, I could not claim beige  According to this color chart--I think my color is most accurately represented as champagne pink. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colors:_A–F  Ha-ha. Your point is well taken.

Edited December 15, 2016 by bsjkki

[BlueDreams]

Fall flat's probably accurate. The lyrics aren't offensive to me just ones that I would snicker at. A lot. The meaning to me is pretty clear that it isn't about race...but the wording is way too much of a double meaning not to laugh and expect that in some parody about race.  I probably couldn't sing along with it because of the snickering. And it's a youth song. Have a hard time with those period.

for reference I also snicker at "in our lovely Deseret" because it sounds like a nagging mother to me. I can't sing it without some eye-rolling and sarcastic whining in my voice. 

 

with luv and irreverence,

BD

[bluebell]

2 minutes ago, BlueDreams said:

Fall flat's probably accurate. The lyrics aren't offensive to me just ones that I would snicker at. A lot. The meaning to me is pretty clear that it isn't about race...but the wording is way too much of a double meaning not to laugh and expect that in some parody about race.  I probably couldn't sing along with it because of the snickering. And it's a youth song. Have a hard time with those period.

for reference I also snicker at "in our lovely Deseret" because it sounds like a nagging mother to me. I can't sing it without some eye-rolling and sarcastic whining in my voice. 

 

with luv and irreverence,

BD

I've always hated that song!  And True to the Faith.  How do they expect converts to sing that song without feeling weird??  And the "yes!" and "no!" parts are always bad.  

[BCSpace]

I think it's a step backwards, as per the Law of Moses, that people are somehow sensitive to the use of the term 'white', or the use of any color for that matter, because they can't parse the context..

[Sleeper Cell]

On Friday, December 16, 2016 at 7:28 AM, bluebell said:

I've always hated that song!  And True to the Faith.  How do they expect converts to sing that song without feeling weird??  And the "yes!" and "no!" parts are always bad.  

I’ve always hated “We Are All Enlisted.”  At least, since the time it was chosen as the opening hymn of a special stake meeting for those of  us who had recently graduated; hence been reclassified  1-A  for the draft.  Especially the “Happy are we” part.