Firstly: GREAT newsletter! Wonderful that everyone weighed in. They each spoke for all of us, I suspect! (with one tiny but niggling exception...)
When I was a child, society began shifting from using the term "colored" to using the term Black, as in Black is Beautiful. One day my brother referred to someone as "Colored" and my father corrected him, and said it's better to say "Black". My brother asked why he couldn't say "Colored" anymore. My father replied, "Because they don't like it. We don't need any more reason than that. It's how we demonstrate our respect for them."
True enough. My name is DeeDee... I had a gym teacher who called me "Dandruff" because she thought it was hilarious. I began feigning my period to get out of PE because, who wants to be insulted all the time? Once might have been funny... repetition was deliberately insulting and cruel.
Using the word "woke" is now like the "N" word. It's offensive. Stop using it. English is rich with words that you can use instead. Try finding an inoffensive synonym for "woke"... I challenge you to... I suspect all the synonyms you find will be clearly insulting and perhaps you'll understand why It's a word best dropped. It's a word used only by Bullies on the Right. If that's who you are, keep using it.
Depends on the purpose of The Bulwark though. If you want to unite the nation behind your views, you can do that by being inclusive. If you just want to get rid of trump, and still "own the libs", then carry on with effing "woke", and I will feel sorry that you couldn't find any real words to use.
DeeDee, it's an essay and I'm sure you'll find a pdf online. It's probably one of Orwell's best known pieces, after his novel, 1984, which itself deals with the corruption of language.
(I knew you meant me...) And too late! I just now ordered a book of his essays, and will be happy to have them here. Really appreciate the recommendation! Thanks.
Firstly: GREAT newsletter! Wonderful that everyone weighed in. They each spoke for all of us, I suspect! (with one tiny but niggling exception...)
When I was a child, society began shifting from using the term "colored" to using the term Black, as in Black is Beautiful. One day my brother referred to someone as "Colored" and my father corrected him, and said it's better to say "Black". My brother asked why he couldn't say "Colored" anymore. My father replied, "Because they don't like it. We don't need any more reason than that. It's how we demonstrate our respect for them."
True enough. My name is DeeDee... I had a gym teacher who called me "Dandruff" because she thought it was hilarious. I began feigning my period to get out of PE because, who wants to be insulted all the time? Once might have been funny... repetition was deliberately insulting and cruel.
Using the word "woke" is now like the "N" word. It's offensive. Stop using it. English is rich with words that you can use instead. Try finding an inoffensive synonym for "woke"... I challenge you to... I suspect all the synonyms you find will be clearly insulting and perhaps you'll understand why It's a word best dropped. It's a word used only by Bullies on the Right. If that's who you are, keep using it.
Depends on the purpose of The Bulwark though. If you want to unite the nation behind your views, you can do that by being inclusive. If you just want to get rid of trump, and still "own the libs", then carry on with effing "woke", and I will feel sorry that you couldn't find any real words to use.
Very well said.
Add "virtue signaling" and "CRT" to the list. Time to re-read Orwell's "Politics and the English Language."
@ Carolyn Phipps, Thank you! Embarrassed to admit I've never heard of Orwell's book, but as soon as I hit "post" here, I'm ordering it! Thanks.
And YES "virtue signaling" and "CRT" ( for God's sake!!!)
DeeDee, it's an essay and I'm sure you'll find a pdf online. It's probably one of Orwell's best known pieces, after his novel, 1984, which itself deals with the corruption of language.
Jeri, it's an essay and I'm sure you can find a pdf online. It's one of Orwell's best known pieces, apart from his novels.
https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/politics-and-the-english-language/
(I knew you meant me...) And too late! I just now ordered a book of his essays, and will be happy to have them here. Really appreciate the recommendation! Thanks.
Righty ho!
Sorry, Jeri!! Meant to reply to DeeDee.