[Ads-l] Sad suggestion for QOTY

Bonnie Taylor-Blake b.taylorblake at GMAIL.COM
Thu Dec 4 03:20:04 UTC 2014


The following text, which I saw on Twitter just now, pretty accurately
reproduces what Eric Garner said in a fatal confrontation with New
York City police last summer.

"Every time you see me, you want to mess with me.  I'm tired of it.
It stops today.  [...]  I'm minding my business, officer, I'm minding
my business.  Please just leave me alone.  I told you last time,
please just leave me alone.  Please.  Please, don't touch me.  Do not
touch me.  [garbled]  I can't breathe.  I can't breathe.  I can't
breathe.  I can't breathe.  I can't breathe.  I can't breathe.  I
can't breathe.  I can't breathe.  I can't breathe."

The video below is disturbing, but it demonstrates that the
transcription above is fairly accurate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ka4oKu1jo

It's also possible that portions of separate remarks made by President
Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder after the failure of a Staten
Island grand jury to indict a police officer for Garner's death may be
worth considering for the list of the year's notable quotations.

I'm not sure whether Fred's still accepting suggestions, but I thought
the above was worth passing along.

-- Bonnie

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list