Date:  Mon, 27 Oct 1997 17:25:46 -0500
From:  Jesse T Sheidlower <jester[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PANIX.COM>
Subject: Re: PC Dictionaries?

>
> Because bullying tactics work better against single victims. If NAACP
> attacked all dictionary publishers at the same time, there'd be a chorus of
> protests, instead of a single "little" voice of a single publisher. The
> tactic presumes that all other publishers will keep quiet in hopes that
> their names won't come up. But if NAACP is successful with M-W, RH, AHD,
> and NW will be next in line.

But the NAACP seems unaware that there even _are_ other dictionaries.
The folklore of this recent controversy has it that a woman opened
a dictionary to prove that "nigger" wasn't a word, was stunned to
discover that it was in, and hence the Merriam boycott. Also, unlike
other objects of boycotts, there are only four dictionaries and they
are, for the NAACP's purposes, interchangable.

For what it's worth I've spoken to everyone who's asked, including
the Today show, in support of Merriam, and I encourage my colleagues
at the other houses to do the same.

Jesse Sheidlower
<jester[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]panix.com>