Word: offending
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Among television's vast lexicon of unwritten rules there are three inviolable tenets: 1) don't offend minority groups-they write letters; 2) don't tell sick jokes-they offend critics; 3) don't knock the hero-the audience identifies with him. Failure to obey these laws is punishable by death-for the show, and sometimes for the career of the creator. The result, inevitably, is a season like the present one-limp scripts and look-alike actors, the halt leading the bland...
Consolidation. If the conclusion of Vatican II does lead to a widespread sense of disappointment and dismay much of the blame will fall on Pope Paul. Some of it, certainly, would be justified: he has demonstrated a willingness to settle for a muffled statement when a clear one would offend, and an unwillingness to surrender too many of the trappings of Romanism for the sake of greater Catholicity. But a disappointing council would be better than none, and there are many who feel that Paul may be doing what John could not do: ending the council without a serious split...
President Kennedy, despite the wit and saltiness of his conversation, was careful not to offend his subordinates or to undermine publicly their authority. It is hard to believe that he would have wanted either of these things to occur after his death through the repetition of casual and often perfunctory remarks to those in whom he thought he could confide...
...Sigma Chi, Phi Gamma Delta, Alpha Tau Omega and Phi Delta Theta - either have switched to constitutional euphemisms or have reached unwritten "gentlemen's agreements" that require members to be "socially acceptable" to all other members. A member pledged in California, for example, must not be likely to offend a member in Alabama. A fifth, Sigma Nu, still retains a "whites only" clause, but has permitted chapters, if pressured by college officials, to request special dispensation to admit Negroes. Sigma Chi requires national approval of every member by a screening committee supplied with racial and religious information on each...
...Premier Moro is in a double bind. If the bill becomes law, Socialist Vice Premier Pietro Nenni may carry out his threat to walk out of the coalition and bring down the government. If Moro amends the amendment, back to the bill's original text, he will offend the Vatican...