In his letter to the editor, Jack Elder talked about the definition of the word “Dixie” (“‘Dixie’ isn’t racist,” July 26). We must remember the English language is a living, constantly changing thing. Words change completely. Gay no longer means happy. My couch is most likely a sofa now. Words also have connotations. The word “cool” hardly ever refers to temperature. Dixie is a word with heavy connotations. The words “New England” don’t usually cause people pain. The word “Dixie” does. It brings back thoughts of slavery, lynchings and all-black colleges.
Jai Green, Salt Lake City