Thanks for this thoughtful essay. I am always grateful when corrected on some aspects of speech (well, defensive at first, but eventually grateful). When I first moved down south to Savannah, during my training at a local museum I was corrected from referring to some as a “slave”—instead told to say “enslaved person.” The difference surprised me and it made me wonder about other phrases and forms of language that I use, ways of speaking that have hidden subtexts. I know some people feel censored by the “word police” but I think of it as necessary verbal calisthenics- the need to grow stronger in our ability to communicate with each other- really it is what holds the world together.
Thanks for this thoughtful essay. I am always grateful when corrected on some aspects of speech (well, defensive at first, but eventually grateful). When I first moved down south to Savannah, during my training at a local museum I was corrected from referring to some as a “slave”—instead told to say “enslaved person.” The difference surprised me and it made me wonder about other phrases and forms of language that I use, ways of speaking that have hidden subtexts. I know some people feel censored by the “word police” but I think of it as necessary verbal calisthenics- the need to grow stronger in our ability to communicate with each other- really it is what holds the world together.
Thanks, Lou, for this thoughtful response. I too am always willing to have a conversation about language. In fact, I geek out over it!