Dignity

From Merriam-Webster:

Main Entry: dig·ni·ty Pronunciation: 'dig-n&-tE Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural -ties Etymology: Middle English dignete, from Anglo-French digneté, from Latin dignitat-, dignitas, from dignus 1 : the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed 2 a : high rank, office, or position b : a legal title of nobility or honor 3 archaic : DIGNITARY 4 : formal reserve or seriousness of manner, appearance, or language

Academic Elephant has an excellent editorial on the difference between a true hunger strike by Guillermo Fariñas and a hunger for attention strike ala Cindy Sheehan:

In the portion of the editorial where Dr. Fariñas recounts why he went on the strike in the first place, the word he keeps coming back to is "dignity." For him, there is no dignity living under the mindless tyranny of Castro where decisions are made by an authoritarian state rather than by the individual. Such a life, in which the very responsibility to think is given up (or rather taken) by the dictator is for Dr. Fariñas the life of an animal. The simple profundity of his cause--that he sees no sense in feeding his body if he cannot feed his mind--and his willingness to suffer the severe physical ramifications of his stance--make a stark contrast with Cindy Sheehan's new hunger strike. I noted this contrast in my previous post, but I think it's worth some further discussion in the light of this update on Dr. Fariñas.

Read the whole thing here.

Posted by Val Prieto at July 10, 2006 07:28 AM

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Posted by: delacova at July 10, 2006 08:31 AM

Posted by: Cigar Mike Pancier at July 10, 2006 09:00 AM

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