On 12/18/2013 9:48 AM, emilymae...@yahoo.com wrote: > Richard is concerned about someone denigrating his "birth > circumstances.?" The reference to a person's "birth circumstances", Emily, is a reference to the caste system, where the family he or she is born into and the place of birth define his or her position in a class society, birth circumstances over which people have no control.
Since we have a society in the U.S. where everyone is considered equal without considering a person's race, religion, sex, or place of origin, it is considered to be in bad taste to make fun of people based on where they are born, their surname, or where they were born or currently live. Most people these days refrain from these kinds of references because we like to pride ourselves on being egalitarian. So, most people don't make fun of Asians, African Americans, Native Americans, or Jews anymore. Of course, some people still do, but it is considered to bebad form and kind of insulting. It's not a very good way to conduct a debate. That's all I'm saying.
