Political correctness – sticks and stones but…

It is getting downright painful to listen to the media – both mainstream and alternative, both “left” and “right.” And even the libertarian (or semi-libertarian) versions.

There is poor English, bad grammar, mispronounced words, and an arrogant attitude. But the worst? The way plain English words are twisted, abused, and used in disgusting ways.

Some Woke group (who can keep track of them all?) called Third Way published a forty-five-word list that “liberals” (leftists – the Woke, so-called Progressives) should stop using.

Now, this is scary: the vocabulary of many of these enemies of liberty is already very limited.

Let’s look at these (or at least some of them) from the point of view of lovers of liberty:

1. Privilege. We usually hear that as part of a phrase: “white privilege,” but I suppose the Woke are horrified about other kinds of privilege: like the privilege of a good education, or the privilege of being able to live your life as you wish without being hated for it.
2. Violence (as in “environmental violence”). And clearly many other kinds of violence that doesn’t actually involve hitting or shooting or really threatening someone: according to some, for instance, saying “all lives matter” or “unborn lives matter” (instead of black lives matter) is a form of racial violence. Maybe we are talking about “emotional violence” when we have our feelings hurt? How’s that?
3. Dialoging. Hmm. That word certainly does “violence” to the English language. (Yes, we know it is in the dictionary). But it is one of those four-syllable high-falutin’ words that too many arrogant intellectuals use. Why not just say, talking? Or if you use a fancy word, communicating?
4. Othering. Just like #3 above. We wonder, does that include “one-anothering” also? Unlike #3, which we assume to be a positive thing, this is apparently a negative term. So let us ask, is this a good thing or a bad thing? If we say skin color does not matter when it comes to freedom, are we “othering” all those people who aren’t the same skin color(s) as we are? Or is it good that we are recognizing that “other people” are more equal than we are?
5. Triggering. Since apparently almost anything someone else does or says (even the Woke’s own comrades) is “triggering,” maybe the word is used too often and needs to be retired? Admittedly, there are perfectly good words that might substitute for it: instigating, angering, or even riling.
6. Microaggression/assault/invalidation. Okay, we don’t even understand this concoction. Is it microaggression, microassault, and micro-invalidation? Or is it the idea that praising or correcting or disagreeing with someone is considered a form of #2 (violence), but a tiny form? And ditto for assault and invalidation? Is brushing against someone, or splattering them with food when you drop your plate a “micro-assault?” Is it invalidating someone’s worth as a human if you question them about something they said?
7. Progressive stack. We had to look this up. It is allowing people from “non-dominant groups” to speak in a meeting before people from “dominant groups.” Oh? You mean like having younger people express their opinion before their elders do, in the hope of them not being influenced too much? Or do you mean taking away #1 (privilege) so that you are not doing #5 or #6 to someone. That someone being part of a “non-dominant” group – as in a group that is “marginalized” or “subjugated” or “not in power.” Mmmm. Question: does “non-dominance” stack up? Does someone who is both of color and female and non-heterosexual get to go ahead of a colored female who is just “questioning” in Woke lingo?
8. Centering. Again, we’ve no idea what the “left” Woke mean by this word. Is it wrong to do the best you can to get all your rounds into the center of the target? Is it dangerous to peace and cooperation to center your mind on the topic at hand? Or on the job you are trying to do? We might admit that being “self-centered” is bad.
9. Safe place. Okay, this is a word we understand – or think we do. A safe place is somewhere you are safe from danger, from violence, from being… harmed? Apparently, in Woke-speak, this ties to #2: safe from anything and everything that might hurt our feelings or anyone saying or doing anything that might embarrass them or produce a negative judgment.
10. Holding space. Whoops. What is bad about a holding space? That shelf by the door where I can put my keys when I get home? That space on my desk where I put paperclips and spare change? Seems that this is kind of an expansion of safe place: the person who is fearful of emotional harm not only is safe but is “fully supported” and can say anything without feeling bad about how the person they are with will react. The other people are “holding you” closely – they aren’t just not judgmental, they are
11. Body shaming. Oh dear. At least we know what this one means: it is a reason (an excuse?) to not say anything to anyone that would take away their safe place or holding space: for example, telling someone they are overweight and that is a bad thing for their health.

Obviously we aren’t going to get to all 45 in this commentary. But we’ve no doubt stepped on plenty of toes already. This Third Way classifies all these words as “Therapy-speak” (another word that should probably be on their list) because they are used by shrinks to say “I’m more empathetic than you, and you are callous to hurting other’s feelings.” Gee. I don’t know about the claims to be empathetic, but those who use these words regularly are pretty pathetic.

And that makes it obvious as to why the Third Way doesn’t want other Woke types to use these words. Simply, they put people off! You hear these and you stop listening.

Perhaps we should encourage the Woke to use these words more?

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