I can understand anger if the word in used in an insulting way, but when it is used as an example, some tolerence and intellegence should be applied.

Is zero-tolerence an reasonable way to act? Are there no circumstances that should be considered?

You wrote that the word in question:

is not a particularly good analogy for "gay", as the former is only ever used to disparage, while the latter is a label of choice and pride for many homosexuals."

I disagree. I've only heard "nigger" as a racial epithet once for every thousand times I've heard it used by blacks as a label of choice and pride.

What a f---ing gay teacher! I think the great thing about the word "gay" is its multiple connotations. I use it all the time to mean "lame," not "homosexual" or "happy." It's a bit like the f-word in that respect. Seems to me that we should be less worried about bullying in school, a relatively harmless nuisance for most, and more worried about the lawlessness in the prison system.

I cannot believe this is even news!

Why are this stupid woman's views even entertained? The only way this story should make the news is if it had read "a stupid woman embarassed herself yesterday and was asked to take a seat and stop embarassing herself. Educators and politicians were excused from entertaining the views of this ludicrous idiot, who eventually went home."

Greg:

Like you, I had often used the word gay in its most recent colloquial sense to mean contrived, inadequate, pretentious, puny or lame. Then it occurred to me that this could be miscontrued by my students as being gratuitously offensive, so I've replaced gay with a more accurate buzzword: metrosexual.

Is the word used in Rap songs?

I don't consider that the word belongs in polite society except, as you say, in instructional situations. On the other hand, I live in a mostly black neighborhood, middle class, with a number of young blacks, and it seems to be every other word out of their mouths. Because of the neighborhood I hear more rap music than I care to, and it seems to be every other word in the lyrics, too.

Apparently to some people it's all right for that to be the case, but if a non-black uses the word for any purpose at any time it bespeaks deep racism for which only abasement and expensive programs can atone.

Odd that a white woman should get into this. I'd say she's just looking for some excuse to push other people around, but I'm cynical. I'm sure there's a perfectly innocent explanation.

Ben Stein writes that fat is congealed anger. She's large and in charge. Stepgrandma (how old is she?) is just pissed off at the world and likes to throw her weight around.

I linked your site to mine, Truthprobe, which is a centrist political commentary.

thanks

tom

There is a type of white people who need to prove how righteous they are compared to other whites in regard to racism. While genuinely concerned, they often come across as "the only white person who understands". I'm always reminded of a letter to the editor I read many years ago. The letter writer was commenting on whites who frequent black naighborhoods to buy drugs. The letter writer was a white woman who lived in a black neighborhood. She complained that, of course, the only reason any whites come to the neighborhood was to get drugs - any whites except herself.

This reminds me of a controversy here in Maryland, where some parents of some Special Ed kids are up in arms over some ... admittedly inappropriate and unfunny ... comments made by a lawyer for the school district at a conference in LA. He has apologized, and the school district has said they disapprove of the comments, but can not discipline him because he is not an employee and was exercising his free speech rights.

So, have the parents gotten over it? Nope, they are protesting every school board meeting demanding that "something be done." They're not exactly sure what, but it should be something severe to soothe their precious little feelings.

Good God. When did we reach the point where the most neurotically hypersensitive people in society set the bar for what is and is not acceptable speech?

In primary schools, I think it's fair to say, "gay" is never used except as an insult.

She's not overweight, she's undertall! I'm sure she'd be at a healthy weight if she was, say, eight feet tall.