Standard American English, a sort of lingua franca, has its uses, and those who hope to achieve certain social and economic ends must use it well; but they need not use it on all or even most occasions. Living American English, with its ephemeral vocabulary and populist grammar, is more democratic, in terms of both access and effects, than most American institutions, though some who champion Standard American English are uncomfortable with that fact.
—Michael Adams, American linguist, "Ephemeral Language" from American Speech, Winter 2000