Are they "refugees"?
Wednesday, September 07, 2005 - 02:40 PM
"Refugees" sounds so desperate and international. "Evacuees" suggests that someone was looking out for them when really, no one was. "Displaced persons" is so darn clinical.
Tomorrow we'll discuss what to call the people who left their homes because of Hurricane Katrina.
In the meantime, chew on this email:
Subject: Stop using the word "refugees!"
I am a long-time listener, and love your show. However, as recently as this morning I heard you use the term "refugees" while referring to the evacuees of Hurricane Katrina. This is unacceptable! I have heard it used for more than a week now, and still I cringe. Even President Bush said yesterday, that these people are "not refugees... but Americans." Please use the dictionary, a thesaurus or do a Google search for help with a substitution for this inappropriate and inaccurate term.
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