This is making me angry. REFUGEE

[bribri16]

Definition from Microsoft Word:

refugee: Somebody seeking safe place. Somebody who is seeking or taking refuge from war or persecution by going to a FOREIGN country.

Please refer to these people as evacuees or displaced. Imagine the psychological mark the term "refugee" leaves on people in this situation. Is this not their country too?

[niyad]

1. a member of the congressional black caucus pointed this out on fri

at their press conference, and I make a point of correcting everyone who uses that word.

they are american citizens displaced by a disaster in their own country.

[gollygee]

2. I've been saying "Displaced Families"

I agree - not refugees. They are not foreigners.

[tuvor]

3. I brought this up last night.

DU opinion seems divided.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4639975

[calico1]

4. I think its intentional.

They refer to the victims repeatedly as "refugees" and refer to NO as "that part of the world" instead of the country. The intent is to subliminally make people feel this is not really happening here or to Americans. Its just some other far away thing. At least the bushbots will buy that.

[astonamous]

9. Something less hopeful about the term....

Refugee. I prefer survivor. The folks that have come out of this alive are survivors. To me it sounds more possitive and hopeful.

"Maybe the next time you see Black people in trouble you'll help.......maybe...." :- Richard Pryor from "Here and Now" (shot in New Orleans, 1985!)

[crispini]

5. The first part of the def'n applies:

"Somebody seeking safe place. "

m-w also has: " one that flees; especially : a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution"

if you google the phrase "refugee from the storm" you get 278 hits. it's a common english phrase.

i don't see why people get so torqued up about this. i personally dislike the term "evacuee" -- it sounds so clinical and cold.

refugee hits right at the heart of what has happened to them, IMO -- they have been displaced in a very horrible way.

[Tyranny_R_US]

6. There are a gang of DU'ers who is going to put up a nasty fight over that.

They will hurl insults and maybe they will even call you a RW'er there is a gang although not large that makes to their business to defend the government,private relief agencies and the media reporting no matter what.

[Maple]

7. Refugee

refugee

n : an exile who flees for safety

Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University

[Igel]

8. Oh, for crying out loud.

Doesn't anybody actually *speak* their native language any more?

No, don't answer that.

Let's call them all i-dips. IDPs. Internally displaced persons. Or maybe, "Displaced personages of Homo sapiens lineage with American or other citizenship(s) and residency rights that are currently homeless and seeking shelters and aide of an uncoerced and dignity-preserving nature outside their areas of permanent residence because of natural or unnaturally occurring inconvenient or dangerous circumstances in their home or permanent areas of residence." No abbreviation allowed.

Again:
Not all the people involved are evacuees, and not all evacuees need merit our help. It is true that all those needing help are displaced. The traditional term for such a person is 'refugee'. The UN or a handful of politicians may want to claim that English is their bailiwick, but most linguists would disagree.

Let's by all mean help the displaceds. The displaceds need help and FEMA should provide all the support necessary for the displaceds to return to the displaceds' homes.

Or, as I would prefer, since the displaced personages of Homo sapiens lineage with American or other citizenship(s) and residency rights that are currently homeless and seeking shelters and aide of an uncoerced and dignity-preserving nature outside their areas of permanent residence because of natural or unnaturally occurring inconvenient or dangerous circumstances in their home or permanent areas of residence need our help, we should make sure FEMA and others provides sufficient support to the displaced personages of Homo sapiens lineage with American or other citizenship(s) and residency rights that are currently homeless and seeking shelters and aide of an uncoerced and dignity-preserving nature outside their areas of permanent residence because of natural or unnaturally occurring inconvenient or dangerous circumstances in their home or permanent areas of residence to make sure that all of the displaced personages of Homo sapiens lineage with American or other citizenship(s) and residency rights that are currently homeless and seeking shelters and aide of an uncoerced and dignity-preserving nature outside their areas of permanent residence because of natural or unnaturally occurring inconvenient or dangerous circumstances in their home or permanent areas of residence can return to the displaced personages of Homo sapiens lineage with American or other citizenship(s) and residency rights that are currently homeless and seeking shelters and aide of an uncoerced and dignity-preserving nature outside their areas of permanent residence because of natural or unnaturally occurring inconvenient or dangerous circumstances in their home or permanent areas of residence's homes.

[baby_mouse]

11. Word. nt

[seemslikeadream]

12. Stay tuned to FOX NEWS

PERCEPTION MANIPULATION, IN A VERY SINISTER FORM

[NoPasaran]

14. Why the fuck should anybody even glance at Fox News?

Much less stay tuned to that electronic sewer?

[seemslikeadream]

16. Well some people obviously like their terminology

[seemslikeadream]

10. THE BLACK CAUCUS THE FORMER MAYOR AND THE MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS

OBJECT TO THE USE OF THE WORD REFUGEE

[Pithy Cherub]

13. I am citizen of the US & Black & I object: STRONGLY!

:grr:

[Benbow]

17. Think of Somalia - the displaced families in the Darfur region are always

referred to as refugees. Is there some special cultural "loading" about "refugee" in the US context? Does the Black Caucasus object because it evokes pictures of AFRICANS - as opposed to AMERICANS?

[seemslikeadream]

19. It appears some folks don't want to admit the image

that that word involks

[Ravenseye]

15. The Semantic Police Need to Chill

www.dictionary.com

Refugee is "One who flees in search of refuge" and has the note "as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution."

Evacuee is "a person evacuated from a dangerous area"

Displaced is "To move or shift from the usual place" and has the note "especially to force to leave a homeland"

According to the actual definitions Displaced has as much of an indication of being extra-national that Refugee has.

The simple fact is that just because YOU hear a stigma when you hear the word refugee doesn't mean everyone else does. Also even if everyone else did, it wouldn't validate something that is inherently incorrect.

All these terms apply to the former New Orleans residents but only the term Refugee implies that the people are still seeking help.

An evacuee is removed from a situation, period. It implies no seeking of shelter or help or protection. Displaced simply means they are moved from their normal place. It also carrys no implication of need.

Refugee does. It's not a negative stigma. These people need help. If I were one of them I would consider myself a refugee, because I would be seeking help. These people could give a shit about words right now, they need actual help. So get down off your high horse, buy an actual dictionary and quit using MS Word, and chill out.

[seemslikeadream]

18. I pass that along to Marc Morial

President and CEO of National Urban League


He objects to the word also

[FlaGranny]

20. I am willing to not use the word

if it offends people, but there are other dictionaries that define the word as people seeking refuge from persecution and disaster. Nothing in the word definition means "foreign land." The "foreign" part derives from governments making determinations of what a refugee is for legal reasons. The word itself means only "a person seeking refuge." I do understand that people are getting upset about it, saying they are not refugees, and that is okay by me. I won't use the word if it offends. I have only used it with the word's actual derivative definition in mind.

Edit: May I add that if I were in the same situation with those people in the shelters, I would call myself a refugee, so I certainly see nothing derogatory in it. I could very well end up in that situation - considering where I live.