Actually, I don't think giving or taking offense has much to do with it (although offense certainly is taken). Indeed, Republic Party folks aren't even addressing their Democratic counterparts when they use the adjective: They're addressing the public, and they couldn't care less how we Democrats respond to the term.
As I understand it, "Democrat" is used as an adjective for two related reasons: First, McCarthy and his modern-day counterparts wish to deny Democrats the *positive* connotations that are associated with the word "democratic." Second, apparently numerous surveys have shown that audiences hear the word "Democrat" as much less mellifulous, and harsher, than "democratic." Something about connotations with words such as "bureaucrat" and "technocrat." Audiences cringe when they hear the ending hard "t" much more than when the word ends in "tic." Or so I've been told. > _______________________________________________ > To post, send message to Religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see > http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw > > Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as > private. > Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people > can > read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages to others.
--- Begin Message -------Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Stuart BUCK
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 12:23 PM
To: religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu
Subject: Re: Assaults on the England language
I.e., is it the case that people take offense at "Democrat Party" for absolutely no reason other than that offense is intended, and that correspondingly people use "Democrat Party" sheerly for the purpose of causing offense?
Precisely.Douglas Laycock
--- End Message ---
_______________________________________________ To post, send message to Religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private. Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people can read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages to others.
