[ale] OT: Security code on Credit/Debit cards revisited

[John G. Heim]

It seems to me that linguists are moving away from the idea that some words 
are right and others wrong. The oldays when Sister Madalyn wrapped your 
knuckles for using 'bring' when you should have used 'take' are gone, 
replaced by a judgment  based on the words effect. Ie. You shouldn't use 
niggardly  because it gives offense and your meaning will be lost.

So the real question would be whether the use of the word "racist" 
effectively transmitted the intended  meaning. I would say it did and 
therefore it was correct.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Kinney" <jim.kinney at gmail.com>
To: "Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts - Yes! We run Linux!" <ale at ale.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 9:41 PM
Subject: Re: [ale] OT: Security code on Credit/Debit cards revisited


This _way_ better than global warming. :-)   !
The language discussions have been interesting and all appear valid. The
"moving target" argument make specific word usage more ambiguous since much
"in flux" usage currently lean away from a more formal specificity. .
Yet to use race pejoratively when the original context was specifically
non-racial but national origin directed was a serious tactical blunder. -2
points for poor word choice in the initial condemnory rebuttal. Yet since
many national origin arguments have some racial connotation, not all but a
significant fraction, it is often an implied pejorative factor. So +1 for
intent.

While I would appreciate the restaurant name so I may also avoid them, at
this point that may be a poor association to make given the tenor of this
discussion.

On Mar 23, 2010 9:24 PM, "Michael B. Trausch" <mike at trausch.us> wrote:

On 03/23/2010 07:31 PM, Geoffrey wrote:
> Not to pick nits, but the comment didn't really indicate r...
This is completely self-contradicting.

The statements, "... racism is the belief that one race is superior to
another.", and "... a belief that a particular race might be more
dishonest than others." can only be *non*-contradictory if honesty is
not a measure of the quality of an individual's character.  Furthermore,
physical attributes of race have very little to do with a person's
honesty, or charisma, or any such other behavioral attribute.  Such
attributes come from individual people's experiences, upbringing,
economical standings throughout life, and other factors, but certainly
not their country of origin in this or any previous generation.

Is that the sort of thing that this group tolerates?  If so, that is
rather infuriating and saddening.


--- Mike

-- 
Michael B. Trausch ☎ (404) 492-6475
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