Letter to the editor

One cannot possibly know how much I enjoyed the article in The Panolian on Friday, September 28 entitled “King should unfriend violators of his English,” by Mr. Ray Mosby.

I, too, am a word person and it grates on my nerves tremendously to hear people, especially educated people, murder the English language.

Last week I read someone’s writing who should have known better, saying “besides” his mom and dad etc.

Another example, someone said, “towards” meaning in the direction.

Am I wrong in believing that neither of these words should ever have an s at the end?

And the worst, as you mentioned, “where are you at.” My mother has responded, “between the A and the T.”

I think my mother is the cause of my being a “word person.” Growing up, there were only four of us in our family. My dad and mother, Mike and Jewel Newsom, my sister Toedy, and me. My mother drew and cut out four faces with long tongues and hung them on the wall. Above each face was one of our names.

There was also a box of straight pins placed near the faces. Above the faces were these words, “For murdering English I am not hung, but a pin is thrust into my tongue.”

When one of us heard another use incorrect grammar, we ran and got a pin and put it into the tongue of the culprit. We took pride in who had the least amount of pins and periodically started over.

wonder if the children in school today are getting any education in grammar. Or are they just not paying attention? More important things?

Thanks Mr. Mosby,
Mary Newsom Dyson