Letters to the Editor

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"It is a metaphor. I apologize." Thanks, Keith -- and thanks to everyone who made it an issue.
  • Yes, that's how

    you behave after you've made a mistake and said something offensive.

    It's good to see an apology accepted, as well. That's an equally important aspect of civil society.

    I agree with some that the comment wasn't necessarily inherently sexist. After all, it could easily have been said of a male candidate. But then it wouldn't have had the same resonance. Like you can say of Bill Clinton, "That boy is out of control" without aggravating the wounds of racism, but you couldn't say it of Obama.

    That's because language takes its meaning from context and culture, not from dictionaries.

    It's possible to MEAN one thing but CONVEY another by a poor choice of words. And the unintended meaning can do real damage, which might call for contrition.

    Yes, it's possible to say that Hillary Clinton is unattractive without having a sexist intent, but not without conveying a sexist nuance. So find a more sophisticated way of expressing yourself. Seek to rid your language of odious cultural resonances. You'll be more persuasive. And you'll be on the right side of history.