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Tanenhaus: Populism, Politics and the Power of Sarah Palin

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swamprat12/06/2009 3:11:17 pm PST

re: #329 jayzee

Not always an invective. I remember when “Negro” was polite and “black” was rude. Blacks rightly stated that their skin color wasn’t black and they objected to the usage. Then “black” became correct and “Negro” was was unacceptable because a slur was derived from it. “Jew” is from “Judah”. By popular usage, it now applies to both the tribes of Judah and Israel. The two are synonymous, but it was not always so. The Jews have often been persecuted, but the word “Jew” has been used by friend, foe, and family for centuries.