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The Term "Sand Rat" is a Racial Slur
To the Editor:
I was very disturbed by a letter that appeared in the 2/ 20/08 edition of the PCNR. The writer referred to the 9/11 suspects currently on trial as "sand rats" in need of "extermination."
I doubt very much that the PCNR's editorial policy allows the use of derogatory racial epithets in letters or anywhere else in the paper; at the very least, I assume the editors would only print a letter containing such epithets on the condition that the author take out the slurs. Perhaps the PCNR was unaware that "sand rat" is just such a racial slur referring to people from the Middle East.
I hope in the future the editors will consider the term unacceptable and will insist on appropriate language from all letter-writers.
Margaret Vetare
Cold Spring
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