Date:  Mon, 7 Apr 1997 17:57:15 -0500
<br>From:  Mark Mandel  Mark[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]DRAGONSYS.COM 
<br>Subject: cracker and white trash -Reply
<br>
<br>    Miriam Meyers  MMEYERS[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MSUS1.MSUS.EDU  0407.1712    
<br>    [...]
<br>But white trash is right down there with nigger; they are two words that
<br>I cringe when I hear. It's based on experience of seeing the
<br>wretchedness of some people who are called that and of sensing how it
<br>must feel to be regarded as trash. This isn't linguistics, maybe, but it's
<br>part of my code: I object to calling any human being trash.
<br>   
<br>
<br>Amen!
<br>Understanding how a word is used and what social freight it carries
<br>absolutely IS a legitimate part of linguistics.
<br>And appreciating that knowledge and incorporating it into one's life is part
<br>of being a mensch.
<br>
<br>    Mark A. Mandel : Senior Linguist : mark[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]dragonsys.com
<br>  Dragon Systems, Inc. : speech recognition : +1 617 965-5200
<br> 320 Nevada St., Newton, MA 02160, USA : http://www.dragonsys.com/
<br>      Personal home page: http://world.std.com/~mam/
<br>