Child's left-handed writing allegedly called 'evil' by teacher

[DAMfan]

Child's left-handed writing allegedly called 'evil' by teacher

 

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/national/child-called-evil-teacher-writing-left-handed/nnkcX/

[AlexElizabeth]

No words.

[cassadine1991]

I remember hearing the saying that left-handed people are sinister but that was from a different century.

That teacher is the evil one 

[Cheap21]

nothing new. Shocking to hear that now in 2015 but writing with left hand used to be considered a sin. My friend's mother was forced to write with her right hand and hit with a ruler by nuns if she used her left. I recall my mother telling me similar stories when she was younger

 

I think the biggest shock here is that it happened in a public school bc something like this seems religiously motivated and Id expect it in a Catholic school

[Eric83]

I really can't stand humans sometimes.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

In Latin, the word for left handed is sinister (or literally left-sided).  The question is how did the word take on a negative connotation?  

 

I remember my Mother telling me that her brother, a left hander, used to get rapped across his knuckles by his teacher for writing with his left hand.  I think it is one of those crazy and ignorant folkways that has persisted in some pockets of cultures.  I remember hearing from some African friends that in some countries, twins were considered, if not downright evil, a sign of bad fortune and disgrace for the family.

 

Some of these feelings seemed to have been borne of superstition and then got passed down as folkways or 'old wives tales'.  Anyway you slice it, it's backward and anyone who embraces education has no business adopting these types of thought patterns.  Steven King movies are made of such characters.

 

Of course, these types of thought patterns have also crawled into the popular domain of 'thinking people'.  Someone who is 'left-leaning' politically is also often viewed in sinister fashion.  People might derisively refer to him/her as a 'lefty'.  

[cassadine1991]

It's hard to find things for left-handed people like myself , I guess I'll try to find a left-handed store.

[~bl~]

Once upon a time, even public schools made everyone use their right-hand to write. (My Mom, who is retired, had that happen to her.)

[cassadine1991]

that's crazy, guess it explains why the old chairs were designed for right-handed people