Newsgroups: sci.lang
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From: groover@netcom.com (Robert Groover)
Subject: Re: PBS is at it again
Message-ID: <grooverD4391q.I8x@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <h6z60mP.whl44@delphi.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 10:27:25 GMT
Lines: 26
Sender: groover@netcom5.netcom.com

William Lemay <whl44@delphi.com> writes:
>PBS is at it again.
> ... 
>10)  It is repeated frequently through the hour that languages "show
>   little diversity," are all "made of the same stuff," etc., without
>   proof.  How about this counter-assertion:  "*Linguists* show little
>   diversity.  They share a limited stock of descriptive methods and
>   terminology so that all language *descriptions* come out sounding
>   very much the same" ?
Brilliant zinger!

>   But the narrator says:
>      "Here, the subtle use of language is highly prized"  [Common to
>      both illiterate populations and educated people in literate ones.]
A shared factor being limited television viewing!

>One of the
>copyright owners is "South Carolina ETV," which only feeds the
>stereotype of the Uneducated Southern Hick.
                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's a disappointing touch of bigotry, and unworthy of the poster's 
other remarks.

Robert Groover
groover@netcom.com
PGP key on request
