[ExI] War ----- It's a meme!

[Darren Greer]

>>Ultimately I prefer to be called "Mike."  If we could remember to call
people by their names rather than by labels all these problems could
be easily avoided.<<

Agreed. Except that if you're not the one giving yourself or your cultural
or ethnic group the label, that's when it becomes a problem. I expect
Americans didn't even start off calling themselves Americans. Likely the
British came up with it first. Probably because coach potato was already
taken. By Canadians. :)

Darren

On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 2:42 PM, Mike Dougherty <msd001 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 2010/11/9 Darren Greer <darren.greer3 at gmail.com>:
> > It's not so much the generalized term that people are using, but what
> that
> > generalized term means and where it comes from.  Inuit means "our people"
> > from a Northern Indigenous tribal dialect. Eskimo means "eater of raw
> flesh"
> > from the Cree, who are incontestibly not Eskimo or Inuit. Nit-picking
> aside,
> > I can see that the objections to the first might be greater than the
> second.
>
> Likewise I take offense at being called a Typical American to mean
> "eater of junk food while watching TV."
> I think the colloquial "Couch Potato" is more appropriate for that
> particular meaning.  :)
>
> > But the term Eskimo is (or almost is) universally culturally offensive,
> as
> > far as I know. And this biggest nit-pick of all? I stated the term Eskimo
> > was cultural offensive, and bet even the Yupik and (I know the Innui)
> find
> > it so. It is best when dealing with tribes who don't identify with the
> "Our
> > People's" designation to ask them what they prefer to be called, instead
> of
> > assuming "eater of raw flesh" is OK.
>
> Ultimately I prefer to be called "Mike."  If we could remember to call
> people by their names rather than by labels all these problems could
> be easily avoided.
>
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-- 
"I don't regret the kingdoms. What sense in borders and nations and
patriotism? But I miss the kings."

-*Harold and Maude*
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