Ms. Merskin’s views (The World, Oct. 26) as a scholar have the feeling of censorship, and being supported by a newspaper editor is surprising. 

The scholar seems to have an agenda about strong white men in the movies. I am no expert on either movie actor she mentioned, but the only time I remember John Wayne being involved in something that could be considered disrespectful to an Indian was when he appeared with Yakima Canutt, who was playing the most hilarious Indian brave ever depicted in the 1930s. I always thought Clint Eastwood was rather respectful of Indians. Neither of which is the issue here.

Do words really hurt or are they really just an attempt to get a rise out of someone? Vulgarities and slurs are used daily to some extent in our society.  Since about 1970, you have not been able to read a book or watch a movie, television, newspaper or a newscast without hearing one or more of these words applied to someone. These words, for the most part, are designed to show disrespect and, for the real defenseless, hurt feelings.

Unfortunately, there are far too many people who should not have to do more than consider the source when they go on to make huge mountains out of the insults in speech, instead of taking the high road and moving on like adults used to do. When I was young, we were taught that we should fear sticks and stones that could break our bodies and understand that names would never hurt us.

Of all the bad things done to other humans every day, using the Algonquin word “squaw,” describing an Indian woman, would not seem to measure up very far on the scale of wrongs. Algonquins were some of the first Indian peoples met by the first illegal immigrants, and it is easy to see how it became a widely used description for a native woman and like “cracker,” “Indian,” “Westerner” or “cowboy” became part of the American language.

If we can never learn to ignore ignorant catcalls by ignoring those who enjoy using those words, they will continue forever and respect will be a bygone thing to only dream of. We don’t need political correctness. We need to show those who use that kind of language they are not welcome or wanted as long as they persist in speaking at that level. Taking the tit for tat approach will never make any difference.

Edward Hall

Coquille