WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 3 - 9, 2021 | 11
CITY VOICES LANDGREN FEELING LABOR PAINS AT SAINT VINCENT HOSPITAL
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Approach to combating racism is counterproductive Paul Gallo Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
I believe the vast majority of Americans sincerely want racial harmony and equality. However, our nation appears stymied in making meaningful progress in reducing racism. Why? One reason is our approach has been counter-
productive. Reducing racism will never happen utilizing discriminatory methods or labels. Some folks try to justify discriminatory methods to compensate for past wrongs. Two “wrongs” have never made a “right.” It is impossible to achieve “color blindness” if we persist in noting a person’s or organization’s color, or promoting a color-based agen-
da. Do organizations that focus on advancing a specifi c race really seek treating everyone the same? Racism exists because we don’t have the objectivity and courage to speak and act with real indiff erence to a person’s color. If and when we do, then real positive change will happen. Paul Gallo lives in Barre.
FIRST PERSON
What will happen in classrooms when the masks come off ? Mark Wagner Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
Educators and students at all levels, in Massachusetts and other states, have been in masks for two academic years and will be so for the foreseeable future. A question arises about what role the human expression plays in learning and communication. We share with our closest relatives — the bonobos — the same structure in our faces:122 muscles capable of a many overt, or blended and subtle meanings. Birdwhistle, Montague and others observed that the face is capable of +/- 1000 expressions and messages. These emotional cues and mes-
sages — sometimes called nonverbal communication (NVC) and separate from spoken and written language — are at the heart of establishing identities, of social care and belonging, from the birthing room to classrooms to marriage beds and family rooms. The study of NVC is a relatively young science, but a dichotomy between language and communication is not new. In the view of Nobel laureate Francois Jacob, “the role of language as a communication system between individuals would have come about only secondarily” because “language is not for communicating directives for actions” nor other common
Thank You For Your Votes!
BEST TATTOO PARLOR • All piercers are current APP members • Piercings are appointment only • Private tattoo rooms with TVs • Same day appointments may be available for tattoos
Elegance Piercing & Tattoo Inc 436 Park Ave, Worcester, MA (Off street parking available)
774-823-3466 www.EleganceWorc.com Find us
See WAGNER, Page 13 WM-0000480298-03
@EleganceWorc
