--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "jacquesdebierue" <jacquesdebierue@...> wrote:
>
> I have been made aware that my use of the word "handicapped" in the discussion with Kevin was insensitive, though I was not aware of it. My apologies to Kevin for putting my foot in it and my reassurance that absolutely nothing beyond a rhetorical flourish was meant by it.
>
> Best,
>
> mrt
>
----------I have made only a few posts to this group but I've been carefully reading the comments that the members choose to make. I have to admit that I resent the fact that some type of pressure was put on mrt to retract and perhaps even to apologize for his use of the word "handicapped". This group should be open to frank and up front statements and certainly no harm appeared to be meant in the use of the word. As long as we are not flaming each other and exercise courteous behavior, I fail to see why we have to be so politically correct that we have to bend over backwards in our choice of wording. Maybe mrt was correct in the use of the word and maybe not; I certainly understood what he saying and it was up to us all to agree or disagree. But damn it we shouldn't have to be worried to such an extent and be urged to make such a retraction as the one above. Of course "nothing beyond a rhetorical flourish was meant by it". What's the next step? Maybe we should sue each other for defamation of character because one reader likes Pynchon and another does not? Should we ban members for misuse of the word "handicapped"?
------Walker Martin.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 01 Sep 2009 EDT