I would probably have said something along the lines of "ivory tower academics" whose concepts of evolutionary linguistics have advanced so far that they fail to see the practical consequences of ignoring prescription. Also, since language is vital to communication and, other than one's original language, not really an "accident" (and in any case not a genetic accident), discrimination on linguistic grounds is fully justified.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
So what EXACTLY is the problem with Reid's comments?
- 12/01/2010 04:11:56 AM
1234 Views
it wasn't just that he commented on the lack of "dialect"
- 12/01/2010 04:16:27 AM
905 Views
Regardless of that, I don't see the ability to use dialect as a racist statement.
- 12/01/2010 04:32:07 AM
846 Views
when was the last time you heard a white person speaking ebonics?
- 12/01/2010 01:41:24 PM
860 Views
A week or so ago.
- 12/01/2010 08:09:09 PM
808 Views
Isn't that the definition of a wigger? A white person who speaks/acts like a black person?
- 12/01/2010 09:49:34 PM
831 Views
And the fact that Wigger = White N****r isn't racist at all! *NM*
- 12/01/2010 10:33:04 PM
426 Views
I wasn't using the term seriously 9_9
- 13/01/2010 04:26:20 AM
801 Views
Mocking white people for "acting like black people" by modifying a slur on blacks... hm... *NM*
- 13/01/2010 06:50:46 AM
358 Views
You know, what IS a good term for black people these days?
- 12/01/2010 04:36:33 AM
911 Views
I just use "black"
- 12/01/2010 02:27:16 PM
788 Views
Why is it OK to discriminate on the grounds of language but not race?
- 12/01/2010 08:23:21 AM
1010 Views
Please tell me you were joking... *NM*
- 12/01/2010 01:29:37 PM
369 Views
Not in the least. I thought you knew me better than that.
- 12/01/2010 09:44:59 PM
786 Views
Ah! You were looking for an active rebuttal
- 13/01/2010 01:48:20 PM
794 Views
Your AAE is a language the way that Pig Latin is a language.
- 12/01/2010 06:38:35 PM
818 Views
You know, arguing what a language is with a linguist is pretty much set up for failure *NM*
- 12/01/2010 07:58:42 PM
496 Views
I recall having a similar discussion on this very topic a few years ago with Tim.
- 12/01/2010 08:10:53 PM
736 Views
Re: I recall having a similar discussion on this very topic a few years ago with Tim.
- 12/01/2010 09:06:01 PM
847 Views
Maybe, but having knowledge of the topic wasn't one of my advantages in that argument. 
*NM*
- 13/01/2010 03:36:31 AM
349 Views
*NM*
- 13/01/2010 03:36:31 AM
349 Views
I don't even know where to begin.
- 12/01/2010 09:43:21 PM
912 Views
That third point is going a bit far.
- 12/01/2010 10:06:08 PM
883 Views
You're right, I was conflating two separate points.
- 12/01/2010 10:14:48 PM
805 Views
Well, it still only applies...
- 12/01/2010 10:24:08 PM
947 Views
You ascribe too much intelligence to the average American racist 
.
- 12/01/2010 10:30:39 PM
1019 Views
.
- 12/01/2010 10:30:39 PM
1019 Views
You're guessing at people's motives and making what appear to be broad, unsupported assertions
- 12/01/2010 11:04:47 PM
849 Views
I don't mean they're racist in all respects.
- 13/01/2010 06:52:20 AM
760 Views
Your defintion of racism and sexism seems to massively differ from mine
- 13/01/2010 03:37:46 PM
925 Views
I had to think about this for a few days, but I've now worked out my answer.
- 16/01/2010 01:59:25 PM
890 Views
I had no problems with them. And I don't even like the guy and hope he loses his reelection battle.
- 12/01/2010 03:32:42 PM
926 Views
Who seriously uses the term "Negro dialect" anymore?
- 13/01/2010 02:00:15 AM
791 Views
It's not the word "Negro" in "Magic Negro" that's the most offensive part. *NM*
- 13/01/2010 09:16:20 AM
354 Views