William Goodall wrote: > on 3/10/02 2:00 am, Robert Seeberger at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Your definition of "anti-semite" is virtually the same as ours. > > Yet you *choose* to add definitions of other terms into the mix in order to > > justify your prejudices. > > It seems more likely you choose to remove them.
>From Britannica.com: "anti-Semitism Hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious or racial group. The term anti-Semitism was coined in 1879 by the German agitator Wilhelm Marr to designate the anti-Jewish campaigns underway in central Europe at that time." So, as the word was originally coined, its definition is as per the common American usage. However, our pedantic friends at Britannica add... "Although this term now has wide currency, it is a misnomer, since it implies a discrimination against all Semites. Arabs and other peoples." This seems to imply to me that the proper usage of the term, as originally defined, and, in fact, most commonly defined, is as we use it in the states and define it here. > > That is because the term "anti-semite" has a specific definition that is > > derived, not from dictionary use, but from language use over a very long > > period of time. > > You just dont see the term used in any other way. > > I already quoted a dictionary. And Jon Gabriel did, also. I added an encyclopedia description of the term's origins. I think we can determine, then, that by using the term "anti-Semite" to describe someone, the intent is to portray the target as one who has "hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group". Adam C. Lipscomb [EMAIL PROTECTED] "We must agree on what matters: kissing in public places, bacon sandwiches, disagreement, cutting-edge fashion, literature, generosity, water, a more equitable distribution of the world's resources, movies, music, freedom of thought, beauty, love." - Salman Rushdie _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
