"refugee" a bad word

[Jonathan Lighter]

CNN just presented a member of Congress who said, approximately:

"The media must stop referring to 'refugees.' They are not refugees. They are American citizens. To refer to them as refugees is to place them in an entirely different status."

On the one hand, this is an absurd statement. They *are* refugees, and there's nothing wrong with that.  On the other hand, they *are* American citizens, a designation which does seem to confer rather greater dignity.

What irks me is the suggestion that the word "refugee" should now be absolutely prohibited in this situation.

JL


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