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Re: ideas and questions

From:Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>
Date:Friday, March 5, 2004, 15:04
PC = Philippe Caquant (kind of an ironic assignment in this particular instance)
AW = Adam Walker
AJ = Andreas Johannsen

PC> If not, there still will be the Language of the Deaf-Mutes.

AW> Just FYI, most Deaf (in the US at least) find the term
AW> "deaf-mute" offensive

AJ> I thought "deaf-mute" specifically refered to deaf people with defective
AJ> vocal apparatus?

I'm with Andreas on this one.  I can't imagine anyone using "deaf-mute"
when they just mean "deaf"; you don't have to have PC-sensitivity
training to realize that would be offensive!  But it's still a
perfectly valid term for people who *are* both deaf and mute.

I also find it ludicrous to capitalize "deaf".  I realize that there
is a strong sub-community of deaf individuals, but there are five
zillion different ways that people group themselves together into
communities, and we can't go around capitalizing all of them.
("I'm a Conlanger Geek Cubist Musician Artist Computer-Professional White
 Anglo-Saxon Protestant^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^HAtheist^H^H^H^H^H^H^HAgnostic
 Male Human!").

I mean, "black" isn't a nationality, and "gay" isn't a religion.
P-C English is starting to look like German with the rule for nouns
applied to adjective.

</rant>

-Mark

Replies

Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>
<jcowan@...>