Parents try to fire teacher for assigning "niggardly" as a vocabulary word

The Wilmington Star ^ | Sept 1, 2002 | Sherry Jones

[alisasny]

"One mother was offended because she took that word to mean something it didn't mean," he said. "Ms. Bell apologized. That was sufficient."

Why apologize for that mother's ignorance. I hope a good lawyer picks up the teacher's cause.

[SouthernFreebird]

WTF? why is she apologizing to some ignorant who can't even look up a word in the dictionary.

[Maedhros]

IIRC there was a radio personality in DC who was fired for using "niggardly" on air a few years ago.

*absolute insanity*

[Tailgunner Joe]

It's not good enough to teach the kids ebonics, we have to make sure they don't learn english.

[alisasny]

The offended parents in this school are too niggardly to buy a dictionary.

[giznort]

Political correctness run amuck. Grammatically challenged people offended because it SOUNDS like another word? Let's change the English language because something SOUNDS like an offensive word.

Teacher loses job because of parental stupidity. Maybe the offended mother should take an 'english as a second language' course. Dumb ditch.

[goodieD]

apparently 4th graders aren't the only ones who can't distinguish between the two words... by calling undue attention to words that even SOUND like the dreaded "N" word, you are making people think of it more. Perhaps if the blacks stopped using it amongst themselves, and let it die a natural death, it might just go away. Oh, I'm sorry, they don't WANT it to go away... we have to keep being reminded of racism in order to keep it alive.

[strela]

"... and the Fool Killer lowers his club and sadly walks away with his head bowed. For there are simply too many targets for him to choose from."

Let's eliminate the word "spigot" as well - its pretty darned close to a slur describing Hispanics. "Spade" and "donkey" simply have to go as well.

Thanks for posting this - my blood pressure wasn't high enough until I read your post. I'll continue to use "moron," "idiocy," and "nanny-state busybody" to describe these twits, however.

[badfreeper]

Seeing as how the word "niggard" evolved centuries ago in Scandinavia, it's a safe bet that whoever coined the term probably had never even seen a black person.

[SouthernFreebird]

Gone with the wind comes to mind......I don't know nuthin bout no dictionary !

[Burr5]

Also on the P.C. chopping-block:

"Jew Fish"

"SaurKRAUT"

"Spic and Span"

[Texas_Jarhead]

well dangit then let's get rid of donkey too!

[austingirl]

Excellent point.

[rdb3]

Again?

[alisasny]

"Charles Dickens describes Bentley Drummle, a doomed character in 'Great Expectations,' as 'idle, proud, niggardly, reserved, and suspicious.' In 1965, dissenting from the Supreme Court's ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut, Justice Hugo Black argued that to treat the First Amendment 'as though it protects nothing but 'privacy' ... is to give it a niggardly interpretation, not the kind of liberal reading' the Bill of Rights deserves. And in II Corinthians 9:6 (Revised Standard Version), the apostle Paul writes: 'But do not forget that he who sows with a niggardly hand will also reap a niggardly crop, and that he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.'

[abner]

A few days later, Ms. Bell received a letter from Ms. Walker saying the word was not allowed in her house, no matter what it means.

As usual, some ignorant PCer not letting the facts get in the way. With that mentality, the truth no longer has the ability to set someone free.

[mountaineer]

This has inspired me to do a little experiment. I'm a newspaper writer. My plan is to use the word "niggardly" in an upcoming story (in its proper context, of course), and see how many people complain.

[alisasny]

'Day-Glo' must go because it sounds like the anti-Italian slur 'dago.' "

[rdb3]

Although the word means stingy, Akwana Walker said it was inappropriate to use it because it sounds similar to a racial slur. She said she doesn't think fourth-graders can distinguish between the two words.

Ummm, I think that's why they go to school. To learn, or something like that.

I could be wrong.