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Re: : Korean Shamanism
Ruby Rohrlich (rohrlich@GWIS2.CIRC.GWU.EDU)
Sun, 5 Nov 1995 23:50:54 -0500
PC LANGUAGE can no more force anyone to change their language than any
other non-coercive, powerless method. And the people who generally get
so mad when they think someone is telling them what to do are rednecks,
who are usually too stupid to recognize non-power, but think they have
power when they froth at the mouth and rant. Ruby Rohrlich
On Sat, 4 Nov 1995, Martin Cohen wrote:
> On Sat, 4 Nov 1995, Allan Dunn wrote:
> >
> The "grammar police"
> >have two crossed purposes; one group wants to maintain the language
> >conservatively, the other wants to make it "better." Both are misusing
> >the concept of language, which is an evolved process drawing on old
> >usages that are adapted for new ideas, and subsequently changed by
> >communication of these ideas. It starts with the ideas.
> >
>
> The real problem (and this is where the facist implications of the term
> "language police" are appropriate) is that it is OK to say how you wish the
> language was being used; but even if you are on the side of the angels, you
> have no right the tell a language community how to speak. To insist that I
> use gender neutral terms (which I generally do, but that is beside the
> point), is as wrong as insisting on "English only" laws or stigmatizing
> Black Venacular English. It is the extremes of Whorfianism to believe that
> we can eliminate gender discrimination by cleaning up the language. Better
> to seek change in laws, institutions and workplace, and of course in how we
> raise our children. Language will follow, it won't lead. "PC" language is
> creating an irrational and dangerous backlash among people who
> understandably balk at being told how to speak and think. The moral is
> that you should chose your fights carefully.
>
> Martin
>
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