I was amazed when the dictionary citation that Mark Albright found did =
not indicate that the term "squaw" is an offensive term. I also checked =
a very old version of the Random House Dictionary and found a similar =
definition. However, when I checked The American Heritage Dictionary =
contained in MS-Bookshelf, 1996-97, the term "squaw" is labelled as an =
"offensive" term. I have no doubt in my mind that it is a racist term, =
and is as offensive as any other such term. It is not the exact =
definition that makes a word offensive, but the way in which it is used. =
Even if some people do not use a term as a racial slur, surely if a word =
is used extensively in that way, then it is offensive. I better quit =
now, I'm afraid the heat is rising.
Sorry this post is not about birds.
Gail Spitler
Johnsons Landing, BC
gspitler at awinc.com