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From: gordon@uw-june (Gordon Davisson)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: \"Implicitly racist language\"
Message-ID: <57@uw-june>
Date: Sat, 11-May-85 13:13:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: uw-june.57
Posted: Sat May 11 13:13:02 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 16-May-85 02:34:04 EDT
References: <2039@decwrl.UUCP> <569@mnetor.UUCP>
Organization: U of Washington Computer Science
Lines: 22

In article <569@mnetor.UUCP> clewis@mnetor.UUCP (Chris Lewis) writes:
>We'd lose the word "hooker" too - I've seen people with that last
>name complaining.

We'd have to change 'John', too.  I've never seen anyone by that name
complain, but it's still somewhat insulting.  And then there's 'Mark',
and...

>If we try to purge the language of words or phrases that offend some
>people when they use a different meaning of the word or phrase than
>is intended, we won't have much language left, and what is left won't
>be worth using. 

Methinks perhaps you're right.

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