About the word "ghetto"

A hard core social activist knows what a ghetto is.

for AA people and Jewish people due to the Nazis.

What some folks here are doing is vile, and here is the transcript

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511439516

and a full discussionhttp://www.democraticunderground.com/12511436844

remember the Elvis song about the ghetto?
His use of the word only showed his age, nothing more.

That's what people associate with the word. Much like living in the "hood."

Full Definition of ghetto

plural ghettos also ghettoes

1
: a quarter of a city in which Jews were formerly required to live

2
: a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure

3
a : an isolated group <a geriatric ghetto> b : a situation that resembles a ghetto especially in conferring inferior status or limiting opportunity <the pink-collar ghetto>

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghetto

from your link.

GHETTO Defined for Kids: a part of a city in which members of a particular group live in poor conditions

Your point, and his clarification based on the traditional use of the term, are correct, as indicated by definition in Wikipedia.



But, the traditional use of the term, particularly in the context he used it, creates a problematic generalization. I wish he had acknowledged this in his clarification.

I don't think there is much argument that his statements are not a problem. Clearly, the way he expressed himself was apparently offensive to at least some of his potential supporters, intended or not. And that's a problem.

I'm not trying to smear. I'm a Bernie supporter. As such, I wish he had expressed himself better during the debate, or failing that, had done a better job of clarifying.

But done is done. Time to move on and just avoid statements that appear to embody such generalizations.

Nobody's perfect.

he should have gone on and completed the '60s visualization by saying that this is where his "soul brothers" the "Negroes" lived so "honkys" can never understand.

I.e., there are at least 2 generations that have been born since those terms were in de rigeur usage, all of which have taken on increasingly stereotypical alternate meanings.

It's like being a bug trapped in amber, forever preserved from some ancient past.