Today's Linguistics 101 essay assignment
From a letter to the editor in today's (3/22/06)
New York Times (p. A26), from
Darwin L. Brown of Atlanta, reacting to a story on the deepening plight
of black men in the U.S. (Brown describes himself as "a married,
hard-working black man who is a devoted father of two"):
Opportunities for
black men have never been greater. It is incumbent upon all of
us, regardless of racial background, to take advantage of them.
Unfortunately, thousands of our black men have
failed at this and subsequently descend into being absent fathers,
poorly educated, poorly trained and unproductive workers.
Contrary to what many would have us believe, the
people responsible for this are not whites, President Bush or the
Republican Party.
Actually, it is those black men who value conception
over fatherhood, Ebonics over proper English language and pocket money
over building wealth who are to blame for their own downfall.
Your assignment:
Write an essay (of no more than 200 words) either (a) explaining why
Ebonics appears on this list (along with sexual promiscuity and lack of
thrift), or (b) arguing that it probably doesn't belong there.
For extra credit, do both. If this is the sort of thing that
entertains you, for a little bit of extra credit, explain why that last
sentence might make you long for the
serial
comma.
Do not send your essays to me;
submit them to your section instructor. I am merely a magisterial
presence, writing from a suite in the ivory tower of Language Log Plaza.
[Addendum: In e-mail on 3/24/06, Chuck Smith notes that the letter-writer appears to be saying that we should all take advantage of opportunities for black men. This can't be what he meant; presumably he meant that we should all take advantage of the opportunities available to us.]
zwicky at-sign csli period stanford period edu
Posted by Arnold Zwicky at March 22, 2006 06:50 PM