So they aren't refugees?

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, commenting last Monday at the Houston Astrodome on those affected by the disaster, asserted that it was "racist to call American citizens refugees." This sentiment is being echoed by many people in the African-American community. Even President George W. Bush has weighed in, in agreement. Way to go, Dubya. GRRRR!

As a translator and word maven, it comes as complete news to me that the word "refugee" has any racist, classist or other derogatory or denigrating connotations whatsoever.

With all due respect, when's the last time any of these people cracked open a dictionary? I humbly submit the Merriam Webster Online entry for "refugee" for their consideration:

Main Entry: ref·u·gee
Pronunciation: "re-fyu-'jE, 're-fyu-"
Function: noun
Etymology: French réfugié, past participle of (se) réfugier, to take refuge, from Latin refugium: one that flees; especially [Nota bene - BUT NOT LIMITED TO]: a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution.

Does any of this sound racist to you? Thought so. The people who well, fled the destruction of NOLA and the Gulf Coast in the wake of the disaster are, well, refugees. End of story. Cheese and rice! Stop the race-baiting and move on, people!

Political stuff + some funnies ...

There is much that is still wonderful about America (in fact, I happen to think America is still the greatest country on earth, despite the mistakes it has made and despite what all the haters say about it), so don't get me wrong, but is anybody else out there seeing this really disturbing trend of personal irresponsibility and lack of accountability that I keep seeing? I see this as a trend stretching across all areas of American life (including pet ownership, haha) and now that November 2 is drawing nigh, it's becoming especially evident in the area of voting.

There are responsible, thoughtful citizens who have read up plenty on the candidates and have come to educated conclusions about which one best represents where they want this country to go, but so many people in the US on both sides are voting just because they "like" their candidate better and are not truly informed on the facts and the issues, or blindly voting straight-ticket or whatever without paying any attention to each candidate as an individual, because that's the way their family/race/religious affiliation/sexual orientation/gender/profession/town has voted for years and that's how they're gonna vote too, dammit. And worse, they are going to the polls without a working knowledge of the Constitution and its amendments, save what they have been *told* by politicians and pundits, which may or may not be inaccurate or misleading. It doesn't bode well for our country's future, in fact, that type of irresponsibility is downright dangerous. It really disturbs me. No, I'm not talking about Kerry supporters in particular, though the constant refrain of "Anybody but Bush" I hear coming from the Kerry side really has me worried. Even if everybody voted for Bush, I would still be highly disturbed and frightened if they all voted for him based strictly on "vibe" or because he was "cool" or whatever.

I'm going to start promoting Project Vote Smart to all my friends, as it is about the most non-partisan site I've found on the Internet that offers voters information on candidates and their campaign platforms. You type your zip code into the search engine and it gives you ALL the candidates up for a vote in your area come Nov. 2, and gives you their platforms too. Which is great, because the media has made out like the Presidential race is the only thing going on, and while it is very important, it's not the only thing going on. There are plenty of local races as well, and we should be informed on our local candidates too.

Though I'm registered with the Republican Party, I've never, ever voted straight ticket because party lines are becoming increasingly blurred, especially with regard to fiscal policy, and there are plenty of people of one party who really ought to be in the other party, or just freakin' run as an independent already if they can't bring themselves to defect completely to the "enemy camp" -- witness Zell Miller, who's a classic DINO (Democrat in Name Only) and John McCain, who's a RINO (Republican In Name Only). I've always voted based on what each candidate to offer on an individual basis. I've voted for Republicans, Libertarians, Independents, and even the occasional Democrat. Maybe I'm weird.

For those of you who are burned out on the Presidential race and need a little fun, I've got some links for ya:

1.
"For a guy who's been known derisively to the Bush crowd as 'the Breck girl,'" observes [visual artist Harry] Shearer, Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards seems 'way too interested in his hair.'"


2.
JibJab - Click on "This Land," then the follow-up, "Good to be in DC."


3.
Another funny lil' animated video.