[Foundation-l] Cultural awareness and sensitivity

[Jussi-Ville Heiskanen]

Ray Saintonge wrote:

>
> Caution in avoiding offence with one's words must be coupled with a 
> willingness to avoid seeing offence in the words of others. One needs to 
> begin from the assumption that a word is being used in its most ordinary 
> sense.  Just like "gay" is not restricted by modern homosexual 
> connotations, so too "lynch" must not be narrowly interpreted in the 
> context of the African-American experience.  There is no need to impose 
> modern American connotations on one's words.
>   

Just so. I was mightily amused, with no wish to cause offence,
recently when presented with a piece of text wherein the
young Abraham Lincoln was described by the ladies as "very
gay", and for that reason being in demand amongst their
soirees. Context is king, emancipated or not.


Yours,

Jussi-Ville Heiskanen