qUAKERS

In keeping with the current trend to remove all names that are, or could be, considered offensive to ethnic, racial, religious, or gender groups, The University of Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and all corporations and concerns must remove the word "Quaker."

The University of Pennsylvania football team is called the Quakers. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is called the “Quaker State.” There is also the Quaker Oats company and dozens of other businesses and concerns using the name Quaker.

However, there is one problem with this name. The name is an ethnic slur and should be banned from sports.

The Encyclopedia Britannica states, “George Fox, founder of the (Society of Friends) in England, recorded that in 1650 “Justice Bennet of Derby first called us Quakers because we bid them tremble at the word of God.” It is likely that the name, originally derisive, was also used because many early Friends, like other religious enthusiasts, themselves trembled in their religious meetings.” Webster’s dictionary confirms that the term Quaker was originally a religious slur.

It is shocking that Penn, an institution so politically correct that it once suspended a student for calling someone a “water buffalo,” permits the use of such a slight. All citizens of Pennsylvania should, in the spirit of reconciliation, demand that Penn and these other institutions bowdlerize this name.

After all, why should there only be controversy about certain disparaging ethnic slang names. This is, in and of itself, discriminatory. Why should we permit the use of such pejorative terms as Dago Red (used as the name for both a wine and a racing version of the World War II era P-51 Mustang airplane), spic (which means immaculately clean), or Redneck (this disparaging term for a member of the white rural laboring class, especially southerners is used frequently and with impunity by so-called sophisticated journalists like New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof).

If civil rights organizations are going to become apoplectic about the name Chink or the word Jap then it is imperative that these same civil rights leaders recognize their own discriminatory attitudes by their lack of criticism of those using Dago Red or Spic and Span or Redneck.

All such offensive terms must be removed from modern society. If not bigotry and prejudice will continue. Indeed, to make this more appealing to the civil rights industry, lawsuits should be implemented– especially when they involve wealthy corporations. Reparations should be requested.

Just think of how many Italian-Americans, long derided as Dagoes, would be compensated by the makers of Dago Red. Imagine how many Hispanic Americans would benefit by the makers of Spic-and-Span. The possibilities of all the poor (uthern whites who would be enriched by awards from the New York Times, Paramount (who produced Jeff Foxworthy’s “Redneck” CD), and CNN (which published an article called “ In the Redneck of Time.)

This would be the civil rights equivalent of the Comstock mine for trial lawyers, civil rights leaders, and Democratic Party politicians. In fact, John Edwards would be triple dipping since he is a trial lawyer, southerner, and a Democrat politician.

The president should immediately appoint a division of the justice department for just this purpose. Between the lawsuits, court cases, investigations, and re-distribution of wealth he could create a new industry for the United States to export.

Michael P. Tremoglie is a writer whose work has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Front Page and Insight magazines. He is working on his first novel 'A Sense of Duty'.E-mail him at elfegobaca2@earthlink.net

Webster’s dictionary confirms that the term Quaker was originally a religious slur.

as was "Methodist"

Not to mention compensation from Burger King for calling their sandwhich the "Wop-er"...I mean it sounds close enough to the real slur to be troublesome and the cause of humiliation, embarrassment and angst!

Well, dammit, someone needs to sue the pants off of 3M for "White-out." I'm offended.

5 posted on 02/23/2004 5:42:53 AM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)

Well good grief. Didn't realize that using Quaker State oil smacked of a religious hate act.

6 posted on 02/23/2004 8:58:29 AM PST by Ole Okie (Lets hear it for John eFfing Ketchup: Raw, Raw, Raw. Botox, Botox, Botox!)

I can tell you, having been born and raised in Philadelphia, that it takes more than a hypothetical slur to get a Quaker riled up. You might get him steamed by showing him your draft card, but I can't think of much of anything else. When your belief system is that amorphous, you just don't get offended the way other people do.

7 posted on 02/23/2004 9:33:51 AM PST by blau993 (Labs for love; .357 for Security.)

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