I like Lou Dobbs and listen to him regularly. Though I don't acribe to many of his views, I don't think he's as rabid an idealogue as many on the right...oh, and on the left.

Still, when I first heard about Cotton-Pickin' Gate on NPR's News and Views blog, I didn't feel so well. Here's what he said:

I listened to the YouTube snippet (played it twice)...and I laughed like a goon! I've never heard a human being retract his tonque quite so quickly or deftly.

I laughed, that is, until I started reading the commentary on this article and the many others that accompanied it.

Surely, we've got other things to worry about than the growing list of colloquialisms that are to be considered forbidden by fiat. I've been assured that the terms "paddy wagon" and "nick knack paddy whack," for example, hail from the days where the Irish were depicted as dark-skinned monkeys--just one small step "up" from Blacks.

I do think we should exercise caution when claiming affront, particularly when it comes to these time-worn phrases or uncommon words. Remember, a few years ago, when there was the incredible flap over the word "niggardly" (meaning: stingy)? We can't claim offense for words that we've decided approximate other offensive words. That would be entirely untenable and dilute our credibility when it comes to the real deal.

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