Annals of illiteracy
Posted: March 13, 2013 at 5:05 a.m.
The abuse of language is probably as old as language itself. They go together like matter and anti-matter. And thoughtful observers have pointed out the danger of corrupting the language at least since Milton.
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Editorial, Pages 20 on 03/13/2013
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What exactlyl is the Pulitzer-winning writer trying to say here?
Such a long column to point out a mistaken interpretation of what some state legislator said and then it's being quoted out of context.
Just like Al Gore said he invented the Internet and Nancy Pelosi said they would have to read the bill they just passed to know what was in it.
NOT.
Now it seems that conservatives aren't the only ones to ignore context.
And while Greenberg's going on and on about how ignorant people are always over-sensitive to anything they perceive as racist--somehow he comes across as a litle wee bit racist himself.
"When a people can’t decide what it wants to be called, or embraces one euphemism after another to hide behind, it’s in trouble. For it doesn’t have just a linguistic problem, but an identity problem."
The general tone is not very friendly or compassionate.
Posted by: Coralie
March 13, 2013 at 2:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
The Pulitzer-Prize-winning writer is saying that he doesn't know the difference between illiteracy and adaptive use of language. Perhaps colored folk-- I mean, Negroes-- no, make that "African-Americans"-- adopt new terms for self-identification because each one they have adopted has been turned against them. It doesn't really matter what you call yourself if people use your own label as a pejorative.
He is saying that on the one hand, words are so important that if you can't settle on a word to identify yourself in conversation, then you must not have an identity.
On the other hand, he dismisses the significance of words, saying that it doesn't matter that the language used against people can be so charged that even isolated syllables can have undue power. I thought the "niggardly" incident was ridiculous, but still: be careful how you say "Norfolk" or "At Sofa King, our prices are Sofa King low".
Hasn't Mr. Greenberg complained about Obama's Nobel Prize? Perhaps Mr. Greenberg should return his Pulitzer. He's pretty much worn it out from riding it hard and putting it up wet.
Posted by: AlphaCat
March 13, 2013 at 2:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
" a state senator of some prominence at this session of the Legislature-Jason Rapert (R-Bigelow)"
"Prominence" has a connotation. Another word might be "notorious."
Posted by: Coralie
March 13, 2013 at 3:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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