Thinking it would be a funny April Fools Day joke I wrote Councilwoman Barth, filled with big disappointment she used a bad word. I was goofing on the mock outrage from Kristin Gaspar as she attacked Teresa Barth during the last meeting. The selected part of her diatribe went like this:
"I was highly offended when you brought up a placard that said, “Don’t let the bastards get you down.” And that was proudly displayed at the corner of your office which all of us walk by. That to me, I’m highly offended by that."
I am not the least bit offended by a bad word - in Latin! Especially in light of what is being done locally, nationally and around the world in our names. Have you ever noticed Bond's picture with George Flipping Bush? Now I find that terribly offensive. Some would say that's my issue to deal with and I think that is more to the point than Gaspar's nonsense. So back to April Fools joke. Barth responded with such seriousness in her email saying that she'd heard this criticism from supporters. I thought it was her own version of April Fools Day. Whatever . . . I guess I don't expect perfection here in anticipating every single person's expectations. That's me.
Here is a sampling of her response.
"The sign, about twice the size of a business card, was given to me at a council meeting by a member of the public. The sign is in Latin and says "Illegitimi non Carborundum" and is loosely translated to mean Don't let the bastards get you down.
It sits on the top of the bookcase in my office along with other misc. "gifts" I have received from people since I was elected. It could be partially seen by anyone walking past my office but they would have to look for it.
It is an expression/motto that has it's roots in WWII".
I got hold of the pictures to illustrate what she described in the email. My favorite bits from her reference source.
Illegitimi suggests illegitimate
to the English speaker, but it is certainly not the usual Latin word
for "bastard", nor does it carry the same negative connotation as in
English: it was never used as a general insult as the English term
"bastard" still is.
But these have to be the best; most especially the last one.
The phrase was adopted by US Army general "Vinegar" Joe Stillwell as his motto during the war.
It was later further popularized in the US by 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.
A paperweight engraved with this phrase is on display at the Ronald
Reagan Presidential Library, having been a gift to Reagan from William
Clark, his Chief of Staff when he was Governor of California.
April Fools Day indeed.
