Letter: Use of the word ‘midget’ is considered derogatory
August 08, 2014, 05:00 AM Letter
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/opinions/2014-08-08/letter-use-of-the-word-midget-is-considered-derogatory/1776425128040.html
Editor, Clearly you do not know it all. In your “Know It All” feature in the Aug. 6 edition of the Daily Journal, you stated, “Midgets and little boys dressed like Buster Brown traveled the country with dogs dressed like Tige urging kids to buy Buster Brown shoes.” People of short stature consider the use of the word “midget” as a derogatory and highly offensive term similar to how African-Americans view the N-word. The word “midget” is our “M-word.”
As a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Little People of America, I find your use of the M-word to be totally unacceptable. We in Little People of America have advocated for many years to remove the use of this term in the media and in our local communities. In fact, in 1999, the New York Times removed the word from their style manual.
I kindly request that you use appropriate terms when referring to people of short stature in any future feature and that the Daily Journal take responsibility for doing a better job of assuring that such offensive terminology is never used again in its publications.
In addition, you may want to educate your readers regarding how the M-word is not an acceptable term to use when referring to people of short stature, so that they may learn something from your mistake.
Craig M. McCulloh
South San Francisco
The letter writer is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Little People of America.
As a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Little People of America, I find your use of the M-word to be totally unacceptable. We in Little People of America have advocated for many years to remove the use of this term in the media and in our local communities. In fact, in 1999, the New York Times removed the word from their style manual.
I kindly request that you use appropriate terms when referring to people of short stature in any future feature and that the Daily Journal take responsibility for doing a better job of assuring that such offensive terminology is never used again in its publications.
In addition, you may want to educate your readers regarding how the M-word is not an acceptable term to use when referring to people of short stature, so that they may learn something from your mistake.
Craig M. McCulloh
South San Francisco
The letter writer is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Little People of America.
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