2007-02-01 02:36:34 · 13 answers · asked by Earl T. Burntwood 1 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
It isn't an insult to the person who is being called articulate, it's a compliment, but it may be an insult to the people who may be compared to the complimented person. In the case of Biden calling Obama articulate, people such as Jesse Jackson could believe that they have been insulted since he is also a black man who ran for President. Especially since Biden said that Obama was the "first" black man to run for President who is articulate.
2007-02-01 02:44:53 · answer #1 · answered by Crystal Blue Persuasion 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being articulate is not an insult unless the fear of not being articulate keeps you from speaking up in the first place.
2007-02-01 10:45:30 · answer #2 · answered by livegrace 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be called "articulate" is a compliment. To be called "glib" is not. The latter implies fast-talking, insincere superficiality.
The first link leads to an article in the Chicago Tribune explaining why Obama and/or others took offense at Sen. Biden's comment.
It's kind of like this exchange between the 18th century writer Samuel Johnson and his biographer James Boswell:
Boswell: I told him I had been that morning at a meeting of the people called Quakers, where I had heard a woman preach.
Johnson: "Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all."
Boswell: Life of Johnson.
The implication is that neither women nor minorities can be expected to express themselves well.
Sen. Biden probably didn't intend to be insulting, and he did apologize for his comments.
Samuel Johnson didn't.
2007-02-01 11:03:25 · answer #3 · answered by Oh, Bama! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not really an insult - But if you describe a black man as 'articulate' but don't generally describe white men that way then you may be accused of suggesting that most black people are not articulate.
2007-02-01 10:50:09 · answer #4 · answered by PRS 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would not be insulted if someone said I was articulate. It would mean I had a good grasp of the English language, word usage, etc.
2007-02-01 10:50:24 · answer #5 · answered by lilith663 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its not, but being called the FIRST articulate, intelligent,clean black man is an insult to all others before who therefore must not be "articulate and bright and clean".
"""I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man.""
2007-02-01 10:48:01 · answer #6 · answered by oohhbother 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being called articulate is not an insult..That means u can speak properly and you know how to pronounce your words..Whats wrong with that??
2007-02-01 10:40:14 · answer #7 · answered by poetchicka2 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it implies that you are not expected to be. No one ever calls a Fortune 500 CEO "articulate" because the expectation is that they are. When a minority or someone from the lower socio-economic strata can express themselves it comes as a surprise to many.
2007-02-01 10:41:57 · answer #8 · answered by Phartzalot 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the people saying it's an insult don't just have a chip on their shoulder...they've got the whole freakin' tree.
2007-02-01 10:40:15 · answer #9 · answered by sprydle 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
beats me my friend, who called you articulate
2007-02-02 02:51:58 · answer #10 · answered by thevillageidiotxxxxx 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋