You voted for Nader, Guest? Well, good for you. I have long asserted that it is a totally useless effort to vote for the two halves of the ruling cartel, the Redemocrapublicants, as I call them, a single power structure masquerading as a choice! To vote for either of them is to vote for more of the same. Nader was right.

I also agree wholeheartedly with your point about the use of the words "black" and "dark", which in that context had nothing whatsoever to do with Black Americans...who have been called variously in the last thousand years: Blacks, Moors, Negroes, N*ggers, N*gras, J*ngle B*nnies, Spear-Ch*ckers, Afro-Americans, Nubians, Abyssinians, Darkies, Colored People, and God knows what else! IF WE COULD JUST ALL DECIDE WHAT THEY ARE CALLED! (or does it matter?) At any given time some of those names have been considered politically correct, and some decidely not, depending on whom you ask. You've got to watch the cue cards to determine which name is presently in fashion and among whom in order to avoid being accused of something horrendous by someone with a "trick knee" that jerks every time a certain word is spoken!

The words "black" and "dark" have always been used in a context where one is speaking of negative possibilities. Why? Because we associate LIGHT (from the sun) with goodness and DARKNESS with danger. Why? Because we are diurnal creatures, biologically speaking. We are made to operate in daylight, not darkness. Our ancient ancestors were in great danger at night from roaming predators and they feared the darkness! Accordingly, light was seen as good, dark was seen as bad. And that has continued in the language.

That has NOTHING whatsoever to do with black people. Black people had just as much trouble being attacked by predators at night as any other people, for heaven's sake!

Gimme a break! Azizi, I like you. You're a good gal. But I cannot agree with you on this one. It's a misjudgement of language and intention, ignoring context. It's like those people in Washington who got mad at the politician who used the word "niggardly", another word that has absolutely nothing to do with black people. It's a Scottish word that means "stingy".

As for Martin Gibson, unlike many here I got to like him...whether or not I agreed with him. Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't. But that's been chewed over enough already.

Lively little thread, isn't it? I wonder if we have scared Kirsten away?