Re: Father/Motherland

In a message dated 2000/05/25 04:51:48 AM, Nik wrote:

>We have the Statue of Liberty, a woman, but also Uncle Sam, a man, and
>the Bald Eagle, which, at least to me, seems masculine.
>
    To me, Lady Liberty always struck me as being rather "butch" (big,
stocky, rather hamfisted, & oh so Germanic looking [yes the French built HER,
I know]).

    Of course this is purely my impression from:

1) dim, grey-toned memories of seeing Her Liberty-ness from the dingey 3rd
Class Deck of a cross-Atlantic passenger ship at age 4 back in 1968.
(Immigrating from London England UK, my Parental Units made certain I
worshipfully stared at Her Looming Gloryhoodlum-ness as long as SHE was in
sight - told me to remember the Sight of HER forever)

2) countless popular American kitsch photos, pictures, cartoons, etc. of Her
Imperial Metalness since the age of 4.

    I had a lil metal reproduction of HER in me bloody school days... IT was
a pencil-sharpener. I remember getting a perverse thrill in "reaming" my
pencils in HER for "Survival & Business Math" (a fancy name for "advanced
remedial math").
    "Yes, Mister Kurtz -I mean Mister Brown, I am ready for pencil-pushing,
Sir!"

    BBC (British Born Chinaman) & ex-juvie dee (ex-juvenile delinquent),
    zHANg