Dick,
Coincidentally, when reading this week Congressman Tim Ryan's book,
A Mindful Nation, about the importance of people being in touch with
their experience in the here and now, he referred to the word
"gentleman" saying that his grandpa, a true gentleman, said, "Truly
strong men are gentle." In that gentleness is "kindness, generosity,
warmth, compassion, and loyalty. . ." There is much to be learned
from the language many use mindlessly. Those who believed that
grammar, rhetoric, and logic were the keys to heaven knew more than
most imagine.
Please understand this not to be a political endorsement but an
endorsement of taking our language seriously. Dick, thanks for
offering this comment in the context that you have.
Gregg
On Jul 20, 2012, at 11:34 AM, Dick Veit wrote:
> The ATEG list is dedicated to discussion of teaching grammar and
> other language-related issues. Its members represent a range of
> political viewpoints, and even serious political discussion would
> take us far afield, resolving nothing, and engender rancor. There
> are many outlets for political screeds; ATEG is not one of them.
> Those who abuse this list should lose their privilege to
> participate in it.
>
> To change the topic back to language: it was jarring to hear a
> Denver newspaper reporter, interviewed on NPR this morning,
> describe the Colorado mass murderer as "the gentleman who did
> this." For the reporter and likely for some Americans as well, the
> word "gentleman" has broadened from its original meaning to denote
> simply a male person, with apparently neutral connotation.
>
> Dick
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