Have you noticed how often people start a sentence with the word "so"? When did this happen? I watch a lot of talk show/political shows and listen to a lot of podcasts. It's the same on both. When someone is asked a question by the moderator, chances are the answer is going to begin with the word "so." It has nothing to do with race, class, or education. Everyone does it. Just pay attention to interviews in particular, and you will see how often "so" begins the answer.
Is it even correct grammar to start a sentence with the word so? Starting a sentence with a conjunction can be totally acceptable. I researched this, and it turns out that "so" isn't used now anymore than it was 50 or 100 years ago, to start a sentence. I don't know why it bothers me, but it seems like the person is trying to stall, to figure out how to answer the question. Actually, so is used at the beginning of a sentence to invite discourse. Human beings need a way to initiate talk. If "so" keeps us talking, I'm all for it.
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