New Orleans 'insurgency'

[Jonathan Lighter]

You're entirely welcome, Janis.

JL


Janis Nihart <tarheel at MOBILETEL.COM> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Janis Nihart
Subject: Re: New Orleans 'insurgency'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johnathon
If I had known you were being sarcastic, it wouldn't have bothered me. I
thought youwere serious and were really excusing this kind of behavior
from the so called insurgents..There is no neeed to apologize. I'm OK.
Really I canlaugh at anything. Like I said, I must have been really tired
from allthat is going onin our state and personally with my parents who are in their
seventies and
too old togo through this again, I just didn't pick up on the sarcasm..my
fault.Thanks for writing.
Janis





> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> ----------------------- Sender: American Dialect Society
>
> Poster: Jonathan Lighter
> Subject: Re: New Orleans 'insurgency'
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
> Janis, it distresses me terribly to think that my jocular sarcasm added
> even one bit to your misery. Please accept my sincerest apology.
>
> As it sometimes is, my sarcasm was directed solely to the sort of
> semi-educated, egotistical, self-aggrandizing know-it-alls who not only
> dislike "refugee" personally but who also insist that the word is
> inapplicable, wrong, insulting, etc., and should be banned from media
> coverage of this catastrophe. I called such people "word cranks" in my
> "insurgency" message, as well as in an earlier thread.
>
> Several of us seemed to agree on an earlier thread that there is
> nothing so terribly wrong with "refugee."
>
>
> The idea that I may inadvertently have caused you pain by taking a
> Swiftian shot at "word cranks" disturbs me greatly.
>
> Disturbing in a different way is the revelation that what I thought of
> as a point of view so twisted as to be a joke (and not one on the
> people of the Gulf, God knows) - is now confirmed to be a real point of
> view held by real individuals. What a world.
>
> Once again, Janis, I *am* sorry. Please accept my best wishes for the
> days and months ahead, and I promise to be more circumspect in my humor
> in the future.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Jonathan Lighter
>
>
> Janis Nihart wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> ----------------------- Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Janis Nihart
> Subject: Re: New Orleans 'insurgency'
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
> Maybe I am hot and tired from a week of being a refugee(has been in use
> since atleast the early 60's--nothing wrong with it.) In 1965 we lost
> everything in Betsy inGrand Isle La.. I moved about 30 miles farther
> north about 20 years ago. My parentsagain are dealing with the effects
> of Katrina on Grand Isle and they also have toworry about looting.So I
> am also upset so maybe I misunderstood what was said.The word thug is
> politically incorrect. The politically correct word is ASSHOLE.Please
> someone tell me that I misunderstood the comments made about how
> insurgents can rape , loot, and destroy for a noble cause and do it
> while laughing. Iwonder if the same thing can be said for the
> servicemen in Iraq...should they bejustified when they do it???I think
> not! I apologize if you were being sarcastic.Janis Nihart
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> ----------------------- Sender: American Dialect Society
>>
>> Poster: Jonathan Lighter
>> Subject: Re: New Orleans "insurgency"
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------->>> Many of us word cranks see this "error" as more politically correct. A
>> "thug" is violent for the hell of it, but an "insurgent" has a social
>> or political motivation.
>>
>> It would be very very condescending to make the assumption, prevalent
>> in our sick society, that people who rape, shoot, and pillage cannot
>> be motivated by lofty, albeit sometimes differing, ideals.
>>
>> The military has at last recognized this simple fact.
>>
>> JL
>>
>> Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> ----------------------- Sender: American Dialect Society
>> Poster: Benjamin Zimmer
>> Subject: New Orleans "insurgency"
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------->>> If you thought "refugee" was a loaded word... how about "insurgency"?
>>
>> -----
>> http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1077495.php
>> Army Times, Sep 2, 2005
>> Troops begin combat operations in New Orleans
>> [...]
>> While some fight the insurgency in the city, other carry on with
>> rescue and evacuation operations. Helicopters are still pulling
>> hundreds of stranded people from rooftops of flooded homes.
>> -----
>>
>> A Google News search also finds references to "insurgents", e.g.:
>>
>> -----
>> http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/stories/20050903/localnews/11863.shtml>> Gainesville Times, Sep 3, 2005
>> Local physician headed to New Orleans
>> Col. Philip Marler served four months in Iraq last year as a member of
>> the U.S. Army National Guard.
>> Now, the Gainesville physician is heading to New Orleans to help his
>> hometown recover from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina.
>> [...]
>> The parallels to Iraq are unsettling, Marler said. "In the Army,
>> they're not referring to these people as looters," he said. "They're
>> calling them insurgents."
>> -----
>>
>> Further discussion of the Army Times article here:
>> http://www.boingboing.net/2005/09/03/alcajun_army_times_c.html
>>
>>
>> --Ben Zimmer
>>
>>
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