Letter to the Editor: Demifiction

[helgatwb]

This letter appeared in the New Orleans Clarion-Picayune, a few days after the incident in ysabetwordsmith's poem "Berettaflies". It is also a response to dialecticdreamer's demifiction: Lab Cooperating With Police Investigation.

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Dear Sir or Madam:

I am wondering what exactly is being done to find and punish the perpetrator of the incident with the so-called "berettaflies"? I see a lot of smoke being blown about who's not responsible, and who is helping whom, which is important, but a significant percentage of your readers want to know who is responsible, and what is being done to find and punish the miscreant(s).

I have one thing to say to the person or persons responsible for this mess: "Bless your hearts!"

A Concerned Reader


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For those of you not in the know, 'bless your/his/her/their heart(s)' is NOT a blessing, or a positive message. It is, in fact, a polite, genteel, Southern way of saying: 'fuck you and the horse you rode in on'.

That is, in Southern Louisiana and Texas. It can be used as a blessing, but context and tone of voice is important. It is also a way of saying you hope that they become better people, implying both that they need to do so, and that it would take a miracle for that to happen.

Comments

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I have also heard it used as a blessing, but much more rarely, usually with the addition of 'little', as in 'bless your little heart'. <<

Ah! That is true. "Little" is often a marker for sympathy or approval.

>> I do know that it is used as a condemnation in Texas, as well. <<

Useful to know, thanks.

>> I feel confidant in saying that, used in this context, most of the newspaper's readership would understand that it is not a blessing. I'm going to edit my notes. <<

I agree, anyone familiar with Southern dialect should be able to parse that as a textual slap upside the head.

>> But it is an interesting phrase, because it can be a blessing and condemnation at the same time, <<

Yep.

>> saying that it would take some kind of miracle for them to become better people. <<

Someone once asked about redeeming Haboob. I said it would take a miracle.

And then realized I had someone in that part of the world who listens to God, so if the prompt comes up, I'm covered.

Re: Thoughts

[helgatwb]

Also, children, that is, people under the age of about fourteen or so, are never condemned with this phrase. It is always a true blessing.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

*ponder* I think you're right about that. It matches my observations.

Which puts an odd twist on its use with adults, clandestinely implying that they have a childish lack of competence and manners.

This is a fair criticism of the parties at fault in this incident.

Re: Thoughts

[helgatwb]

Which puts an odd twist on its use with adults, clandestinely implying that they have a childish lack of competence and manners.

That... would fit with the way I've heard it used.