I agree. Also, a neophyte reporter would have an editor. This seems
like an attempt to sensationalize. Our local newspaper has
definitely gone yellow.
And why they didn't put "sic" after the subject/verb error in the
first sentence? When you set out to mock someone one, you should
make sure you are mock-proof.
Susan
On Jun 19, 2009, at 2:45 PM, Spruiell, William C wrote:
> I had the same reaction to the [sic]- barrage, and am baffled about
> the paper's possible motivations. The reporter could be new to the
> business, but who would put a neophyte on a story like this one? --
> Bill Spruiell
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar on behalf of
> Dick Veit
> Sent: Fri 6/19/2009 1:35 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Surface grammar errors
>
> The paper's excessive use of *sic *is disturbing. In *Writing,
> Reading, and
> Research* (eighth edition in press)*,* I caution students to use
> *sic* with
> an error "only if you feel it necessary to identify it as your
> source's
> error, not your error in copying the passage... This device should
> be used
> only rarely. Avoid using *sic* to belittle a source with whom you
> disagree."
>
>
> Papers typically correct minor errors in letters without fuss and
> transform
> some expressions (such as *US* to *U.S.*) to conform with their own
> style
> guidelines. Inserting *sic *a dozen or more times into the letter
> gratuitously embarrasses the writer and completely distracts the
> reader from
> his message.
>
> Dick Veit
>
> On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 11:09 AM, Robert Yates <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
> Dear colleagues,
>
>>
>> Today, the Las Vegas Sun reproduced a letter written by the
>> husband of
>> the wife with whom Senator Ensign was having an affair. The husband
>> sent the letter to a reporter at Fox News.
>>
>> The entire letter is here:
>> http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jun/19/text-husbands-letter/
>>
>> There are all kinds of reasons to find the letter interesting, but
>> I'm
>> struck by the number of sic's. The Sun notes it did not correct
>> any of
>> the grammar and spelling. I assume the letter was proofread and the
>> writer is a college graduate. Here are some examples from the
>> letter:
>>
>> . . .
>>
>> The unethical behavior and immoral choice of Senator Ensign has been
>> confronted by me and others on a number of occasions over this past
>> year. In fact one of the confrontations took place in February
>> 2008 at
>> his home in Washington DC (sic) with a group of his peers. One of the
>> attendee's (sic) was Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma as well as
>> several
>> other men who are close to the Senator.
>>
>> . . . .
>>
>> Today, Senator Ensign's responsibility and stature have increased
>> within
>> the US (sic) Senate. His is currently the head of "Policy" for the
>> Republican Party, the number four position within the Parties (sic)
>> leadership team. We on the other hand are completely ruined and
>> left to
>> deal with the aftermath of very evil and completely unjustifiable
>> acts
>> by one of our countries (sic) top leaders.
>>
>> *****
>>
>> It looks to me that the good people at the Sun expect US Senate to be
>> U.S. Senate. I'm struck by the green grocer 's and the plural for
>> the
>> apostrophe.
>>
>> OK, we should not be just in the business of teaching surface grammar
>> error, but the number of such errors in a very important document
>> written by someone with a college education is interesting.
>>
>> Bob Yates, University of Central Missouri
>>
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>>
>
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