I hope no one on this list watches Deadwood ... How about more on MT? on 3/20/08 3:40 PM, Tracy Wuster at [log in to unmask] wrote: > Dear Mark Twain listserve members, > > Like many of you, I would guess, I read Mr. Fears usage of the word > "coolie" with a cringe and a warning to my significant other, who is > well versed in the history of similar situations on this listserve, > that maybe we should head to the cellar to wait out the storm. My > first reaction was to simply laugh off the usage, not because it was > funny, but because its author has become the proverbial "crazy uncle" > who might be better to laugh at than fight with. > > But at the same time, I have been reading Robert Lee's insightful book > about the historical development of stereotypes of Asians in America > (the chapter on "The Coolie and the Making of the White Working Class" > being most germane.) This book makes apparent, if it needed to be > made so, why the invocation of the word has no place in public > discourse, unless of course in historical context, as a previous > respondent suggested. > > The objection to the use of the term "coolie" is not merely a > "pathologically correct" objection to colorful language. It is not > "group-think" to understand that the term has a highly pejorative > history (which is not really a matter of what one *perceives*). The > point of the objection, I perceive, is that the term "coolie" has no > place in intelligent discussions except as a historical term. And it > only has a place in humorous usage if it is actually funny. I would > guess that others on this list would join me in thinking that Twain > would not have found your "coolie" joke whimsical. > > One last point. There is a categorical distinction Mr. Fears failedl to make > between the usage of the pejorative term "coolie" and the pejorative > terms "fossil" and "troll." The first term is a pejorative that > applies to a group of people of a certain race. "Troll" and "fossil" > are pejoratives that were applied to a single person. The first term > may serve to limit contributions of a large number of people; the other aimed > to only limit the commentary of only one. > > Best, > > Tracy Wuster > > > On 3/20/08, David H Fears <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> Isn't it interesting that those who lie here waiting in attack mode for >> terms they *perceive* as pejorative respond by using terms such as "troll" >> and >> "fossil" in ways which are undeniably pejorative. Such abuse can only limit >> contributions to this forum. >> >> >> David H Fears >> >> >> >> >> **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL >> Home. >> >> (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00 >> 030000000001) >> -- Linwood Cottage, Sheffield There are people who strictly deprive themselves of each and ever eatable, drinkable and smokable which has in any way acquired a shady reputation. They pay this price for health. And health is all they get for it. How strange it is. It is like paying out your whole fortune for a cow that has gone dry. -- Mark Twain's Autobiography http://fch-senseandnonsense.blogspot.com/