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the subject of a verb or the complement of a form of the verb “to be.”
Others resort to the Myself — as in “people like myself’ — forgetting that the myself is of the one reflexive family and can function only when it refers back to the subject of the verb — as in “I do it for myself’ and “he shot himself.”
Thus, the fear of Me is making not only that irreplaceable creature an endangered species, but the I and the Myself as well.
Many who love our language would impose penalities geared to the circumstances of each case. A politician who aspires to represent us in office should be expected to know and protect the langauge. He, thus, does inestimable damage to t hat language when he kills a Me in public. So does a talk-show moderator or a news show anchorman — or woman. These offenders would pay the heaviest penalities. Sportscasters, not being expected to know the language, would pay the lightest penalty.
This approach ignores the cause of the problem and, therefore, would not save the Me from extinction. The cause of the wanton slaughter of the Me is a common disorder, ignorance. It can be treated only with education, a process in which the press could take a major role. The virus of ignorance, it should be remembered, attacks everyone, including myself.
CHARLES M. PLATT
Rock Mills
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