'help the genocide'

[Charles Doyle]

I'm reminded of an interview with Magic Johnson when he was first diagnosed as HIV positive. Magic declared his intent to become a "spokesman for the virus."

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:23:50 -0400
>From: Lynne Murphy <m.l.murphy at SUSSEX.AC.UK>
>Subject: 'help the genocide'

>
>Was just sending this to a copy-editing blog I read(engineroom.blogspot.com), but thought it might be of interest here too.
>
>Was driving through Palmyra, New York yesterday, and spotted a handwritten sign affixed to a telephone pole near a traffic light.  It said:
>
>"Children are being hurt and killed in Darfur.  Donate money to help the genocide."  (I think it gave a phone number at the end.)
>
>Now, the handwriting was rather childish, so I thought it was just a child not knowing what 'genocide' means.  But now I've googled "help the genocide" and found examples from people who ought to know better:
>
>http://human-rights-organizations.suite101.com/article.cfm/darfur_ways_to_help_the_genocide
>http://www.dosomething.org/project/teens-darfur
>http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080406075111AA3TIf4
>http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080526230512AAlFafW
>http://pinkmohair.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/05/help_end_genoci.html  (in a
>comment)
>
>(The second link could be where the Palmyran got the idea from.)
>
>When human rights supporters have web pages on 'ways to help the genocide', it can't be a good thing!  Do we think there's any change in meaning here, or just bad writing skills?  I'm leaning toward the latter, since the first line on the first article linked above is "If you want to lend a hand with the conflict in Darfur, these organizations may be a place to start."  I half-expected some of the organizations listed to be arms dealers.
>
>I can see how 'help/lend a hand' could come to be interpreted as 'help to stop' or 'help the victims of', but one doesn't see similar calls to 'help cancer' or 'help AIDS' or even 'help Hurricane Rita'.  Then again, one does see "Cancer Support"...
>
>I'm too literal-minded, I guess.    Ooh, should have sent this to the Literal-Minded blog.
>
>Lynne
>
>Dr M Lynne Murphy
>Senior Lecturer in Linguistics and English Language
>Arts B135
>University of Sussex
>Brighton BN1 9QN
>
>phone: +44-(0)1273-678844
>http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com

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