The idea that you can remove “harmful” person to person interactions by discouraging certain words is beyond naive. It’s as naive as the newspeak idea that removing certain words from a language will make it impossible for the population to revolt. People will simply make up new words or redefine current words to express what they want.
The “African American” phrase is a great example of this. Has using this phrase in any way reduced racism, police shootings, or any other harm? Of course not. Racism is in peoples mind. And no amount of word censorship will eliminate it. Racists will simply figure out how to work around the censorship. Using other words to express their hatred.
And non-racists will be in constant fear of accidentally saying anything that might be interpreted in some negative way. Making any interactions with outside groups a mine field. I personally feel like I am in a mine field talking to people of a different skin colour. Even though I am married to a person who is of a different skin colour from mine! It’s beyond crazy.
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The idea that you can remove “harmful” person to person interactions by discouraging certain words is beyond naive. It’s as naive as the newspeak idea that removing certain words from a language will make it impossible for the population to revolt. People will simply make up new words or redefine current words to express what they want.
The “African American” phrase is a great example of this. Has using this phrase in any way reduced racism, police shootings, or any other harm? Of course not. Racism is in peoples mind. And no amount of word censorship will eliminate it. Racists will simply figure out how to work around the censorship. Using other words to express their hatred.
And non-racists will be in constant fear of accidentally saying anything that might be interpreted in some negative way. Making any interactions with outside groups a mine field. I personally feel like I am in a mine field talking to people of a different skin colour. Even though I am married to a person who is of a different skin colour from mine! It’s beyond crazy.