GIVING SLANG PRESS COVERAGE GOING TOO FAR

To the Editor:

It looks like I risk being called ''uncool'' by refusing to ''acquire'' the
slanguage (sic) of the hip-hop generation. (''School for the uncool,'' July
3) From a close look at the dictionary in A. Tacuma Roeback's article, it
seems like a portion of these words belong to a probable drug culture.

Now, I am highly supportive and downright chauvinistic when it comes to
celebrating our youth today. For example, I am not interested in devaluing
our real track stars who slog it out day in and day out on the high school
track by taking that moniker for a coward.

When The Tennessean publishes slang words for a jail cell, lips that have
smoked too much marijuana and a police helicopter, I would say that they
have mastered yet another type of language and that is talking out of both
sides of their mouth at the same time.

How can our youth take us seriously about saying no to drugs when we are so
cavalier about the very trappings of this culture?

So, Tennessean, take it from one of your own - it's now time to ''pump the
brakes.''

Linda Ashford

Nashville 37212