Thirty some years ago I was resting in a hammock inside of a very small Cabana on the beach above some sand that was swarming with fleas (very grateful for the hammock). I liked the Cabana and felt right at home in my hammock. If I referred to it as a building, or a house, or a home; someone might take a look and say, that aint no building I know what a building is I live in a ranch style "house" with my family, which makes it a "home."
Well what can I say, maybe we come from different perspectives and for the sake of cultural richness you can keep your perspective and I can keep mine. However, the first definition for building that I find when I look in the dictionary is: 1)Something that is built, as for human habitation; a structure. House: A building that functions as the primary shelter or location of something. Home: A place where one lives; a residence.
It appears that my Cabana qualifies by the official definitions. Some people might say I personally would never qualify a Cabana as "my home." That is fine but that does not disqualify a Cabana as "A home."
Harassment by all official definitions that I have reviewed is qualified by a person having been made uncomfortable by the attention of another followed by the request to have the attention ceased. If the attention continues beyond that request it qualifies. It is not necessary for the person offering the attention to have intended any harm it is only necessary that the person recieving the attention make it clear that they don't like the attention and they want it stopped. Of course the qualifiers can be broken down to varying degrees and specific subcatagorical types, such as; sexual harassment. It is also the possibility that the request to have something stopped is incompatable with the requirements of some activity such as surgery.
In the case of harassment there may be official definitions that are slightly tweeked from place to place. However, in general there is an official consensus of what qualifies.
If someone has a strong opinion that it should be such and such, instead of what it is that can make a rational debate. However, when there are very clear official descriptions that have been fought over by the best attorneys in the land and legislated into our system by the most qualified representatives; it is either ignorant or schizophrenic to insist that one person's idea of harassment, "is" harassment, while insisting that others are not harassment, simply because they think it is this or that; while their statements of what harassment is, are incongruis with official definitions.
I am sure you have seen this very concise and official definition, which Laz posted a few days ago.
Message 17400291
I don't see much point in debating what "is" harassment. If people want to talk about what they think "should" qualify instead of what "does qualify" that is a different story. |
