From: larry@ducktales.med.ge.com (Larry Landwehr)
Newsgroups: soc.men,talk.politics.misc,alt.politics.correct,bit.listserv.politics
Subject: We, The Persons
Date: 4 Oct 92 18:52:07 GMT
Followup-To: soc.men
Distribution: usa
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance


                           We, The Persons

                           Larry Landwehr
                           Copyright 1992


In the last few years the American English language has undergone
a revolution in vocabulary.  Certain words have been banished or
fallen out of favor.  This has taken place with many people not
being fully aware of it.  Mostly it is older people who know what
has happened because they remember how people used to talk.

Remember when the phrases "cultural diversity", "alternative
lifestyle", and "same gender families" would have left people
wondering what the heck you were talking about?  Now many people
use the words "sensitivity", "empowerment", and "disadvantaged"
without bothering to explain what they mean.

At the same time many words that used to be perfectly acceptable
have fallen into disfavor or have been banned from public speech. 
Such words and phrases as "divorcee", "indian", "unwed mother",
"lesbian", "Negro", "stewardess", "meter maid", and "waitress" are
no longer used in public speech.  These words are "sexist",
"intolerant", "bigoted", "racist", "biased" and they show "cultural
insensitivity" to boot.  Now we are forced to use the words "native
american", "single mother", "sexual orientation", "african-
american", "flight attendant", and "server".  People no longer
receive welfare, they receive "public assistance" or are
"recipients" or "clients" of "entitlements".

Many of the old words had negative connotations.  The new words do
not.  The reason many of the old words had negative connotations
was because the behavior associated with them was behavior that the
majority of the public did not like.  People did not like divorce,
homosexuality, unwed mothers, and people who would not work.  These
activities and conditions were not looked upon favorably.  They
were not in the "public good".

Now days, we have to keep such opinions to ourselves.  We cannot
utter such opinions because the words used to express them have
been banned.  We cannot even talk about "values" and the "public
good" without being mocked and attacked.  People have been deprived
of the only tool useful in public discourse - words.

The English language is literally being emasculated.  The word
"man" is being rapidly driven out of the English language as being
too "sexist".  When two candidates run against each other for
public office, it is frequently referred to as a "two person race"
- even when both of the candidates are men!  "Man" is a dirty word.

We no longer talk of "sex".  We speak of "gender".  We call people
"the homeless" instead of "bums" and "hobos" even if it is a
voluntary "lifestyle".

The "inner-city" refers only to "blacks".  So does "african-
american" even though Egyptians and white South Africans should
logically be included.  We mean race, but we sure don't say it.

Companies place advertisements that say "equal opportunity
employer" and "affirmative action" in the same ad and yet we see
no logical conflict.

This vocabulary revolution has had far ranging effects on people's
lives.  It has placed limits what we can say in public.  It affects
how we think about things.  We no longer think about ourselves as
a "people".  We think of ourselves as a collection of "persons" who
revel in our "diversity" and fight over government handouts. 
Jackals have better manners.

Maybe we should rewrite the declaration of independence.  I can see
it now:

We, the persons of the diverse states of Amerika, in order to form
a less confining union and secure for ourselves as many
entitlements as possible ...
Xref: sparky soc.men:17175 soc.women:17238