Lets stop complaining and do something to promote dialectic harmony. How about an online Ebonics/English dictionary? Yesterday, I acquired the domain <ebonic.org> for this purpose (ebonics.org and com were already assigned). In the spirit of inter-dialectic cooperation, I hereby offer it for use as an online dictionary. This is, of course, a time-consuming effort to both design and maintain, so offers of help will be greatly appreciated. It seems to me that a guestbook-type function might be the best way to allow interested parties to add words, their definitions and pronunciation guides to the dictionary. What do you think? We might want to consider an opportunity for illustrations too. It seems to me that many of the Ebonics expressions I've heard are emphasized through the use of gestures - often with multiple digits pointing in various directions. In order not to be seen as uncaring, I think it would be nice to ask the Oakland School District to help. After all, if anyone should know the dialect, it would be them. Of course, this will be an ongoing effort, considering that the dialect will change with each new malapropism spouted by some thirteen-year-old rap star with a learning disability. Lets be clear about this. It will certainly be in the best interest of every American citizen to understand Ebonics. Had this issue been raised prior to the last election, my guess is that we would have all heard Clinton campaigning in Ebonics. Without an understanding of Ebonics, or a translator, we might not have been able to understand him. Think of what we would have missed! And that's not all. Suppose that while stopped at a traffic light, an Ebonics speaker approaches your car to ask to borrow it. He says something on the order of "gheeowtdakamuthafucka!". You respond with "say what?". Bingo, what we got here is a failure to communicate. The next thing you know, you're shouting at each other. Pretty soon, shots are fired and a crowd gathers around your car. The car begins to rock, glass begins to break. You are arrested for leaving the scene of an accident and for violating the civil rights of the Ebonics speaker. All because you didn't take the time to understand his language. Having an unabridged Ebonics/English Dictionary available on the net could help to save untold numbers of people from having such an experience. I hope the site will be up in a week or so, in the meantime, you may communicate via the list or directly to me at <chuck@ebonic.org>. Remember, we be needin yo hep.