Word: taboo
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Anyone who has seen the video of the incident on YouTube knows that Richards used the word according to its most poisonous and hateful meaning—the one that has made the word taboo. Closer scrutiny of the video reveals that he utters two variations of the word: the one ending in “er” and the one ending in “a.” In contemporary American culture, the one ending in “a” can be a term of endearment—but only when said by and among...
...Katherine Harris in the 13th District had swung to Republican Vern Buchanan--by a mere 369 votes--his Democratic challenger, Christine Jennings, last week filed a lawsuit claiming that voting machines had failed to register 18,000 ballots. But Jennings isn't the only candidate for whom concession is taboo. Here's a look at some of this year's most bizarre and hotly contested elections around the world...
...September 2004, Ahdab broke a taboo by publicly announcing that he had received anonymous death threats intended to pressure him into voting for a controversial three-year extension of the presidency of the pro-Syrian incumbent, Emile Lahoud. Ahdab ignored the threats and voted against the extension. He was not the only politician under pressure. Then-Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri was allegedly directly threatened by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to support Lahoud's extension, despite his deep opposition to the move...
...will be another 100 million Americans in 37 years. At a time of diminishing resources, such growth is not an admirable goal. Roaney Giles Austin, Texas, U.S. Punjab Puritans "No dates, no dancing" [oct. 30] was about Punjab University in Lahore, Pakistan, where socializing between men and women is taboo. It is a prudish place, tightly controlled by a student group, Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (I.J.T.), whose goal is "training the young generation according to Islam so they can play a role in Pakistan's social and political life." But what about the country's economic life? The vice chancellor...
...current Iraq War, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, the larger conflict between the West and the Muslim world—these things are decidedly unfunny. The few jokes that are made about these taboo topics are as often met with uneasiness as they are with laughter. For example, enterprising cartoonists, who would depict the Prophet Muhammad, face resistance not only from radical Muslims but also from largely un-amused Westerners...