Ye Shall Be As Gods? - Class 4, Period 3

[last-mizrahi.livejournal.com]

Juli was leaning against the front of her desk, hands crossed neatly over her stomach, while she waited for her class to assemble. When they had, she began to speak. “This week,” she said, “marks the first of several weeks that we’ll be talking about human modification—-the practise of enabling humans to go past the limits of their genetic code by altering it significantly.”

“Just so we’re all clear on the terminology,” a faint smile, “we’ll be discussing the differences between various words that have all be applied to people who have been modified. Let’s start with one of the most obvious. ‘Mutant’. From a geneticists standpoint this is the most accurate—-a mutation is, very simply, deviation from the norm that springs from an alteration in your genes. ‘Special’ is another word used, quite often in fact. This is, possibly, a very blatant example of the human ego at work. That which is not the norm, must automatically be better—special. What assumptions, and difficulties, can you see arising from the usage of this word? How would it feel to be known as ‘not special’ as opposed to ‘special’?”

“The next two words are both highly similar and yet distinct, at the same time. ‘Different’ and ‘Other’. The devil is in the details, if you wish to notice such things. ‘Different’ implies that there is a norm that should be followed, while ‘Other’ can make it sound as if there are no connecting factors, or relations, between those that have been modified and those that have not.”

“In your own words, which word would you be most likely to consistently apply to other people? To yourself?” Juli shook her head very slightly, “I’ll remind you all that in this class there are no right or wrong answers. I am merely interested in what you are thinking.”

“After answering that, please pair off and discuss the various reasons why each word might be applied. What are the good sides to each of them? The downsides? What preconceptions occur to you when you hear each word?”

“Consider those questions as you discuss,” Juli said, “but also, simply use your own heads and think outside the box. There is no point in learning anything if you cannot think effectively with what you already know."

[Wait for the OCD is up! Have at it~!]

Comments

Discuss!

[last-mizrahi.livejournal.com]

Pair off and discuss the terminology. Special. Different. Other. Mutant. What are the different implications inherent in each word? Pros? Cons?

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

"You missed the word 'freak'," Kabuto pointed out. He wasn't being antagonistic. Really. He was simply being helpful. "Another word people use to separate themselves and others, usually spawned by fear or arrogance."

Re: Discuss!

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

And that would be Bridge flinching just a bit, because yeah, he's heard that one too. Kind of a lot.

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

Kabuto smiled at Bridge. There was an uncurrent to it that wasn't exactly Nice. "Did you have something to add?"

Re: Discuss!

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Just that... yeah. Definitely heard that one."

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

"Oh? So have I." Kabuto had been called a freak before. Just not because he was genetically altered that canon has revealed thus far, though Kishimoto has proved he likes to change his mind about such things. "Does it bother you?"

Re: Discuss!

[multiplez]

Z flinched, too. Yeah, she knew that one.

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

Kabuto might have been having fun with this. He was getting the impression that he was probably the only one taking this class for the sake of his own enjoyment. "Is there something wrong?"

Re: Discuss!

[multiplez]

"Yes," said Z.

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

"Why?" A simple answer required a simple question.

Re: Discuss!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"Don't forgot 'monster', 'thing', 'creature', and 'it'," Anemone told him cheerfully. "I always liked 'creature'. It makes me think of scary movies."

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

"Monster I've heard," Kabuto said, laughing. "Creature isn't used nearly as often, unless you're like Naruto-kun." He pushed his glasses up, studying Anemone. "So, now, I'm curious. What are you, again?"

Re: Discuss!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"Me? I'm a girl, can't you tell?" Anemone stuck her tongue out playfully. "They told me I'm a hybrid. I think that's just a pretty way for them to say they don't really know what I am. I started human, and they tried to make me an alien through genetic alterations and surgery." She twirled a lock of pink hair around her hand and smiled. "I'm the best of the lot."

It wasn't a very friendly smile.

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

A good thing Kabuto's smile was friendly enough for both of them, then. "I heard what you said before about being a hybrid. It's simply something I happen to be unfamiliar with. My apologies for offending you." He bowed his head, light flashing off his lenses.

Re: Discuss!

[redintraining.livejournal.com]

There was a third flinch from Sky, along with his usual nervous habit of pulling his shirt down. Freak was one of the kindest things he'd been called... both by other people and by himself.

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

Kabuto just smiled at him, entirely unapologetic.

Re: Discuss!

[redintraining.livejournal.com]

"It's the truth," said Sky, shrugging. "Ignorance and fear lead to people calling each other nasty things." Each other or themselves, he added silently.

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

"Of course." Kabuto chuckled, making notes. "There are other reasons too, naturally. Which I'm sure you've experienced?"

Re: Discuss!

[last-mizrahi.livejournal.com]

"It was a deliberate omission." Juli informed him, faintly amused, "I'm sure you can use your formidable intellect to understand why I might have chosen not to use it."

Her TA amused her, yes.

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

Kabuto shrugged, completely innocent. "I thought this was a discussion, that's all. Why not include all of the most-used terms?"

Re: Discuss!

[last-mizrahi.livejournal.com]

She raised her eyebrows, "Because I'd prefer discussion from as many of my class as possible. For the purposes of this class, I thought it best to abstain." Pause. "Of course, you've rendered my planning rather… unnecessary."

There was utterly no clue to whether she was pleased about that or not in her voice, but the slightly amused curve of her lips probably said enough.

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

"It's a safe environment," Kabuto said with a smile. "Isn't that the best place to bring up volatile topics?"

Re: Discuss!

[time-flyer-5.livejournal.com]

Jen levelled a glare at him out of sympathy for Bridge, Z, and Sky, though there was some understanding in it. "The day that 'mutant' and 'freak' came to mean the same thing in my world, it was fear and arrogance. We were the normal ones; they were sub-standard. Unwanted. But it was words like that that made those 'sub-standard' people lash out against everyone else."

Re: Discuss!

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

Kabuto smiled right back at Jen. "I never said anything about anyone being 'sub-standard'," he pointed out, pushing up his glasses. "My own opinions are not necessarily what I'm discussing, you understand."

Re: Discuss!

[time-flyer-5.livejournal.com]

She'd never had any patience with people who liked to play with rhetoric. There was enough hothead in Jen that she could feel her fingers twitching with the urge to grab Kabuto and shove him up against the wall so so so not dirty kthx, but she gritted her teeth and kept her seat. "But don't those reactions, fear and arrogance, imply that someone is assuming superiority, or imposing a perceived inferiority on someone else?"