A Neuro-Linguistic Defense of Francis Holland

An appeal to the emotions with words

Francis L. Holland is probably one of my most faithful understudies. Most other students are superficial readers, reading only what they want to read and enjoying only what is comfortable with reading.

What we know of each other, we know only by word-communication via cyberspace. And, it amazes me yet how written words provoke internalized reactions, how that Words hurt, how that Words evoke emotions. Words create images and phantoms in our minds and, to those images and phantoms, we vest our feelings and egos. Damn!

Obviously, Francis Holland has probably been reading my dissertation on Neuro-Linguistics, the art of using semantics to provoke the nervous system. If nothing else, Francis has been effective in his communications. His words spark fires and stirs controversy. He impacts people by the thousands. To what end, I know not. But he is effective.

From “Imus Virus Spreads to Limbaugh” (May 4, 2007):

I mentioned to my UT-Arlington students that I once studied Neuro- Linguistics, essentially to teach one concept: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”.

The reason for teaching this lesson was because I learned, while living in prison, men will try to provoke you with “words”. It is the art of using words to affect the nervous (neurological) system, otherwise we call it our “insides”. Words can hurt.

Lesson Learned:

Never get into a Word-fight or Debate, if you cannot afford to get your feeling hurt at the core level. [No debates with Eddie Griffin, Please].

Another Lesson on Neuro-Linguistics:
Excerpt from “The Ominous N-Word”

[Editor Note: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that radio host Don Imus ' comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team were "disgusting" and she was pleased he was fired… Asked how she handled racist, sexist comments directed her way, Rice laughed and replied: "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. And I really don't care because, you know, I'm a mature woman."]

Who controls whom? Why would I be offended by any word in the English language? A Word is only a word. We grew up being called niggers to our face by whites. I don’t know if white people ever completely grew out of the language usage. We thought that some racist would become more cultured or that they would just all died off. Nevertheless, in any case, our parent built us a psychological fence against it.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. We sang it more in Texas than “We Shall Overcome”.

Many years later, while in prison, I studied a course called Neuro-Linguistics, taught by Dr. Danny Sengel, a fellow inmate. He taught that we are conditioned by words. The logic behind a man’s thinking is encoded in words, even if the thought is not expressly stated. You can read a man’s thoughts by his words or the lack thereof. This is why silence is so golden. You must guess what I’m thinking.

Post-Commentary

If Semantics are necessary in a fight against an enemy, it is not necessary to use Aristelian logics. That western thinking is based on a Greek system of logics (which is Greek to me) not everyone’s thinking, reasoning, and learning follows the same logical lines. In fact, most people’s thinking is “illogical”, even by their own standards and mode of logics.

It is fair in war to give the enemy a “headache” with words. It’s called Psychological Warfare. But Francis does not use parapsychology, so why are so many intelligent people “twisted”? No one has to hold their hand to the flame, if he or she cannot stand to get burned.

Freedom of Speech means also the Freedom of Listen. But then, who listens to Eddie Griffin, anyway?