Our First Katrina Refugees

"Icebound" wrote in message
...

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:U0DTe.315756$_o.224968@attbi_s71...
We booked our first refugees at the Inn yesterday --

Ya gotta watch more CNN, Jay.

The African-American leaders and the US government are very adamant about
NOT calling the displaced persons as "refugees", but insist on "evacuee",
or some such word.

They seem to feel that "refugee" somehow diminishes the status of these
people.

I am wondering, however, that if that is so, then why is it okay to call
the Sri Lankan, Thai (and other displacements of natural and man-made
disasters) as "refugees"?

Does that not diminish *their* status?

Merriam-Webster: "refugee: one that flees; especially: a person who flees to
a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution". What's being
objected to is the connotation of having fled from a foreign country;
obviously, that connotation is not objectionable in situations where people
really do flee internationally.

I don't think the terminology is worth obsessing over. But still less is
anyone's obsession over it worth obsessing over.

--Gary

"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
...

Merriam-Webster: "refugee: one that flees; especially: a person who flees
to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution". What's
being objected to is the connotation of having fled from a foreign
country; obviously, that connotation is not objectionable in situations
where people really do flee internationally.

World Book: A person who flees for refuge or safety in time of war,
persecution, or disaster.

(no mention of country)


I don't think the terminology is worth obsessing over. But still less is
anyone's obsession over it worth obsessing over.


....which makes it all the more peculiar that the President and the Black
leaders would obsess so... and they are *extremely* adamant about it, too.
:-? This is but one of hundreds of articles about the issue:
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7000056047

Anyway, I just didn't want Jay to get in trouble with the language police,
so, having completed the mission: end of refugee-semantics sub-thread
hopefully :-)

"Icebound" wrote in message
...

"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
...

Merriam-Webster: "refugee: one that flees; especially: a person who
flees
to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution". What's
being objected to is the connotation of having fled from a foreign
country; obviously, that connotation is not objectionable in situations
where people really do flee internationally.

World Book: A person who flees for refuge or safety in time of war,
persecution, or disaster.

(no mention of country)


I don't think the terminology is worth obsessing over. But still less is
anyone's obsession over it worth obsessing over.


...which makes it all the more peculiar that the President and the Black
leaders would obsess so... and they are *extremely* adamant about it, too.
:-? This is but one of hundreds of articles about the issue:
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7000056047

Anyway, I just didn't want Jay to get in trouble with the language police,
so, having completed the mission: end of refugee-semantics sub-thread
hopefully :-)

With the "leaders" sitting around deciding what words to use it is not
surprising nothing got done for days after the hurricane hit.

They can be adamant all they want. Refugee is the terminology *I* am
using It's accurate.

Dave

I don't think the terminology is worth obsessing over. But still less is
anyone's obsession over it worth obsessing over.

Sometimes it seems like we couldn't make this kind of stuff up if we tried!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

I don't think the terminology is worth obsessing over. But still less is
anyone's obsession over it worth obsessing over.

Sometimes it seems like we couldn't make this kind of stuff up if we
tried!

;-)


I paraphrase (heavily) from a patrick O'Brian Book:

They have a suffused constant indignance which, if there was nothing to
warrant it at present, they were sure something would come along.


--
Saville

Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html

Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm

Steambending FAQ with photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm

Gary Drescher wrote:

Merriam-Webster: "refugee: one that flees; especially: a person who flees to
a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution". What's being
objected to is the connotation of having fled from a foreign country;
obviously, that connotation is not objectionable in situations where people
really do flee internationally.

I don't think the terminology is worth obsessing over. But still less is
anyone's obsession over it worth obsessing over.

You gotta remember, alot went to Texas as the article mentioned,
"Texas, its like a whole other country." The fact that they distributed
$2k debit cards to those in the Astrodome, I'm sure kinda made them want
to stay put...

"Darrel Toepfer" wrote in message
.. .

You gotta remember, alot went to Texas as the article mentioned,
"Texas, its like a whole other country." The fact that they distributed
$2k debit cards to those in the Astrodome,

....were and/or are *planning* to distribute... *not* distributed