Fair enough. I don't treat adults the way I do my children. But it is not because I doubt the relationship between language and attitudes.
Part of it has to do with not being presumptuous. And part has to do with the fact that some fights are not worth the effort. I am probably more likely to just reduce my interactions with someone whose language and attitudes I find offensive -- than to instruct people on what they should or should not say. Alan brownstein -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Volokh, Eugene Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 2:47 PM To: Law & Religion issues for Law Academics Subject: RE: The Holiday That Dare Not Speak Its Name We surely do teach our children not to use certain words, and try to instill "acceptable attitudes," just as we correct their grammar and table manners. But we are much more hesitant to do that as to adults; such corrections tend to be seen as bad manners unless the breach is very serious. And the reason, I think, is that it's rightly seen as presumptuous -- and presumptively offensive, in the absence of very strong countervailing reason -- to tell grown-ups how to speak (or how to hold their forks), and how to "develop . . . acceptable attitudes." _______________________________________________ To post, send message to Religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private. Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people can read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages to others.
