[Ads-l] newly "offensive" term

[Dave Hause]

On the other hand, there are people who make a frequent search for something 
new to be offended by.

"Family reunification" would seem to be most easily done if the lone member 
in the U.S. rejoined his relatives in 'the old country.'
Dave Hause
-----Original Message----- 
From: David Wilton
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 7:45 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: newly "offensive" term

But the association is not arbitrary. There are millions of Americans whose 
ancestors were quite literally forcibly migrated to this country in chains. 
There is nothing arbitrary about it. Applying this rationale to "chain 
store" would be an arbitrary association.

I do not ascribe racist thinking to Trump and his associates when they use 
the term. (I don't think he's bright enough to imagine that it might be 
offensive.) But the request that they stop using the term is a reasonable 
one.

Whether or not "obscene" is an appropriate descriptor is, as Potter Stewart 
said, in the eye of the beholder. (It certainly doesn't fit the legal 
definition of "obscene," but the general sense is a different story and a 
matter of what one finds offensive and by how much.)


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of 
Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 4:12 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] newly "offensive" term

The issue is not whether the use of "chain migration" instead of "family 
reunification" is politically tendentious.  One could argue that both 
phrases are politically tendentious.

The point of interest is that the sequence of sounds "chain migration" is 
being described as "obscene" on the basis of arbitrary association.


JL


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