From: Dale Thorn <dthorn@gte.net>
Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 22:26:15 -0800 (PST)
To: Mark Rosen <mrosen@peganet.com>
Subject: Re: Ebonics
In-Reply-To: <199612222159.QAA10214@mercury.peganet.com>
Message-ID: <32BE25B0.76B6@gte.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Mark Rosen wrote:
> I would like to conclude this Ebonics issue. The main problem is
> understanding. Some people have bad accents, either Southern or Ebonic,
> both of which are often difficult to understand. I am not disputing the
> fact that everyone should learn a standard language, but I object to the
> racial undertones of the messages - that black people are stupider than
> white people, and gross ignorance of environmental conditions. Whatever.

1. What do you mean conclude?  For whom?

2. Rather than hypothesize a "standard" language, the language evolves
   and generates the standard.  Just relax and enjoy it.

3. Black people are/are not stupider than what?  Mark, you should go
   live in the deep South for awhile, and become part of it, and
   watch the outsiders come in and tell your friends and neighbors on
   the TV, on radio, and in in-person seminars that they speak "wrongly"
   and should lose their Southern "accents", as though they were something
   to be ashamed of.

   Mark, you need to learn simple logic.  Instead of saying "...are often
   difficult to understand", you should say "...are often difficult for
   *me* to understand".

   You see, Mark, I could understand you in speech I am sure, and I can
   also understand the Southern speech by-and-large, but it's you who
   seems to have the limitations. Now you want to force people who don't
   talk like you to talk like you, otherwise you won't deal with them.

   What a petty, narrow-minded person you must be, and how sad.