Comments on pink india ink: Thinking about words.

Read the chapter 'The Repressive Hypothesis' (and ...

2009-03-17T21:28:00.000+01:00

Read the chapter 'The Repressive Hypothesis' (and maybe the preceding one 'We "Other Victorians"' in Michel Foucault's History of Sexuality (Vol. 1).

Very recommendable for you issue.

I see your point though I have no idea what jew ha...

2009-03-16T20:40:00.000+01:00

I see your point though I have no idea what jew harp means. Historically, self-advocates for developmental disabilities have only been around since the 1980s so their voice has been evolving over time. I don't think they ever "chose" to be labeled as "mentally challenged" but they had to get some where because prior to the 80s, most people with developmental disabilities were institutionalized.

Arthur Miller's story is a good case of this...
http://www.vanityfair.com/fame/features/2007/09/miller200709

Honestly, I am very heavily immersed in this culture and most of my knowledge comes out of speaking with people with disabilities. As time moves forward, their dreams grow bigger and bolder, but they have only had basic human rights recognized over the last 25 years or so.

But good point. Though one of my favorite ideologies is reclamation. And I think that is sort of the case here.

Seriously, what is jew harp?

Very wise. Very wise, indeed.

2009-03-16T16:07:00.000+01:00

Very wise. Very wise, indeed.

To me, it's all about context. It's not the word,...

2009-03-15T14:42:00.000+01:00

To me, it's all about context. It's not the word, but the way it's used. I get upset when people use the word "retarded" around me because of certain family members and having worked with handicapped people before, and I get upset because people are using it in an insensitive or offensive way which is just not cool. But I do have to say that it is possibly the only word of it's kind that I tell people not to use around me.

Ultimately, it's the HOW of the word.

Funny you mention this. I was looking at a plant t...

2009-03-15T03:16:00.000+01:00

Funny you mention this. I was looking at a plant the other day and wondering if it was still called a Wandering Jew.

Also, for reasons I cannot explain, when my mother calls our chickens "chickabiddies," it sounds racist to me. Yes, we have chickens. No, I do not know their race. They don't seem offended.

PS Not to mention that every word that gets banned...

2009-03-13T03:07:00.000+01:00

PS Not to mention that every word that gets banned limits our potential to understand the world. Words represent concepts and concepts broaden our minds. An impoverished language will ultimately result in a society of impoverished minds.

re: The BCE thing - I'm a non-believer, and defini...

2009-03-13T02:58:00.000+01:00

re: The BCE thing - I'm a non-believer, and definitely not offended by references to Christ (I guess I'm just THAT secure in my Atheism), so that just strikes me as revisionist. The reality is that we live in a society that has Christian roots, let's not pretend like we don't. Why not just accept AD and BC as quaint relics of the past which no longer have religious meaning?

re: Kat's post - I agree 100%. You hit the nail on the head.

Change the terminology all you want, but the new term is just going to eventually become infected with the same negative connotations the old one was. Rinse, Repeat. Because, attitudes don't change.

The worst example of this kind of thing though has...

2009-03-12T20:45:00.000+01:00

The worst example of this kind of thing though has got to be a few years ago when an obscure Washington official got (briefly) fired for using the word "niggardly"...correctly.

Google "niggardly scandal" and you'll get self-righteous opinions on either side...Salon's is particularly sanctimonious.

RE: Miranda and Jeremy / Mardie
Actually, as a fellow unbeliever, I feel like BCE is actually *more* offensive. To me, that's saying Jesus = Common Era, which attaches even more importance to the guy than if we just say "before" or "after" him. Anyway, with the current state of our educational system, I doubt most people know what AD stands for anyway. =)

I completely agree. A few years ago an acquaintan...

2009-03-12T20:26:00.000+01:00

I completely agree. A few years ago an acquaintance of mine apologized on behalf of someone who had called me (shock horror!) "a Jew." I said, "oh no, don't worry, I AM a Jew." After a baffling back and forth, I realized that this guy thought "Jew" would offend me deeply, but "of the Jewish persuasion" was perfectly OK. I shudder to think what awful stereotype of Jewish people this poor schmuck had in his mind that had to be sanitized to "of the Jewish persuasion."

Great post, Kat! Quickly, though, to Miranda and ...

2009-03-12T19:44:00.000+01:00

Great post, Kat! Quickly, though, to Miranda and Jeremy: as a nonbeliever who is barely ever offended...I do completely agree with the BCE and CE thing. I certainly wouldn't take offense if I read something that has AD written, but I do think it's kind of, um, ignorant (sorry!) to think that everyone's cool with centering all of history and time around Jesus. It's not a semantics issue, it's an inclusion issue. Just saying.

I think you expressed my feelings of the subject p...

2009-03-12T19:09:00.000+01:00

I think you expressed my feelings of the subject perfectly. I hate when people get on other peoples cases about the words they use when they aren't even listening to what the person is saying.

This is brilliantly expressed. And as a fellow wor...

2009-03-12T18:39:00.000+01:00

This is brilliantly expressed. And as a fellow word lover I completely agree. Don't blame the words, rather the sentiment being uttered behind it.

I agree that it's all in the context and intent, I...

2009-03-12T18:23:00.000+01:00

I agree that it's all in the context and intent, I think refusing to use certain words can be just as dismissive and oppressive. Inauguration Day several of my conservative acquaintances expressed how tired they were of hearing Prez Obama referred to as African-American. Lots of "can't they just call him American" comments. Really they are downplaying the significance of his election -- a pretty major historic event -- but they can tell themselves they are being PC and colorblind and it's all OK.

(And his dad was African and his mom was American, really, how much more accurately can you describe his heritage?)

I've actually swung the other direction - complete...

2009-03-12T18:01:00.000+01:00

I've actually swung the other direction - completely removed the PC from my vocabulary because ultimately no matter what you say, someone will be offended. In other words: what you said.

I've also found that by using the word "retarded" to mean what the dictionary says it means (slow or limited) I use it less as an insult. For what that's worth.

Also - ironic that you brought up the Jew Harp. I just read a book where the author sought one out during his quest to live the bible as literally as possible for a year. Good stuff.

i agree completely with what you said, though i ha...

2009-03-12T17:51:00.000+01:00

i agree completely with what you said, though i have no examples of my own. i read through the links you provided and i was appalled at the statement made by "the guy." seriously? it really made me angry to think there are people in this world who think like that, and think it's ok to toss things like that around without a care or concern for anyone else, regardless of their "mental capacity" or stance on the many phrases now deemed offensive by a particular group.

i love the george carlin reference, that is the truest thing i've heard all morning.

I think that you said this very well!! I agree wi...

2009-03-12T17:34:00.000+01:00

I think that you said this very well!! I agree with you very much. Another example...it is no longer PC to use the terms BC and AD because it may offend people who don't believe that Jesus was the messiah. It is now written CE and BCE( Common Era and Before Common Era). I think this is crazy!