2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: Use your words wisely
Editorial Board
Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: Opinions
| Our View | |
| Situation: | Society has a trend of using ethnically and sexually offensive words throughout common conversations. |
| Stance: | The "Take it back?" forum was a good event for educating young adults to the misused words and how to clean up language. |
Tuesday night a panel of nine addressed the use of slur words like the N-word, gay, queer and retarded at the event titled "Take it back?"
A portion of the panel discussion was focused on reclaiming these slurs.
Yolanda Williams, an African American studies instructor and adviser in Minority Affairs, said society might not be ready to reclaim these words.
"We're not there yet," she said.
Whether society is ready or not to reclaim slur words is not the most important factor here. The most important factor is that society recognizes the harm these words can cause.
"These words sometimes sting when you hear them," Williams said.
Jeannie Ludlow, an English professor and coordinator of the Women's Studies program, discussed how people use the word queer to mean weird or odd.
"The power to hurt has not been taken away from it (queer), but the meaning has been fractured," Ludlow said.
The same goes with the word gay. People use the word gay to refer to something as stupid or unfortunate.
There are more than 150,000 words in the English dictionary, so there should be no reason why people can't find another word instead of queer to refer to something as odd or another word than gay to refer to something as stupid.
Other words for odd people may want to consider: peculiar, strange, unusual and abnormal.
And other words for stupid: dim, dense, obtuse and unwise.
The problem is, though, words like gay, retarded and the N-word have become a part of everyday language - even popping up in the media (i.e. music and movies), which the "Take it back?" panel also addressed. And because these words are so loosely used, it's forgotten the effect that they can have.
"Our generation tends to act like these things didn't happen, and even though they may not be so drastic and frequent today, they're still happening," Williams said.
Becoming more aware of slurs, their use and their effect is the first step in fixing a problem that has been around for quite some time, and "Take it back?" was a great event to get discussion started on campus.
Words are empowering, and it's time we choose them more wisely.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 10
Lindsay Lohan
posted 11/20/08 @ 6:14 AM CST
This story is so gay.
samantha ronson
posted 11/20/08 @ 6:45 PM CST
you're right, Lindsay. this editorial is so lesbian.
yes, there are many words in the English language from which to choose, but the point is: why resist the obvious changes in usage? why are people arguing that nigger, bitch, cunt, and queer have to retain their hostile connotations when, in fact, they can be and are used with different intentions. (Continued…)
EIU Grad Student
posted 11/20/08 @ 8:02 PM CST
Samantha: The words you listed as examples each carry different weights and significance. While I agree with your overall statement, that we should accept the way they have been appropriated into contemporary vernacular, some of them still carry associations with historical wounds that have not yet healed. (Continued…)
J
posted 11/21/08 @ 1:12 AM CST
I believe intent (and internalization) is everything.
Is the N-word offensive to a deaf Black person? Probably.
The word itself is arbitrary. (Continued…)
EIU Grad Student
posted 11/21/08 @ 10:13 AM CST
J, you said: "You can take away every derogatory or offensive word and it won't make a bit of difference. New words will just replace the old ones."
This is correct. (Continued…)
J
posted 11/21/08 @ 12:38 PM CST
EIU Grad Student,
For time's sake, I'd like to respond to both your last post in this column and the one in the diversity column, since you're one of the few people on this board with an intelligent viewpoint, free of the ad hominems that are usually accompanied by the uninformed. (Continued…)
djk
posted 11/21/08 @ 12:53 PM CST
As creator of "Take It Back?" I take satisfaction in the dialogue the event has generated, and I respect the conclusion at which the editorial board arrived. (Continued…)
EIU Grad Student
posted 11/21/08 @ 4:41 PM CST
J: Well stated. Just a couple more points and then I'm done.
You said, "Derogatory terms only exist where there is a fair amount of diversity."
Horsesh*t. (Continued…)
G
posted 11/26/08 @ 1:38 AM CST
I just have one point:
What about the humor of these derogatory terms? Most of these phrases/terms are pretty damn funny.
Also, don't you think that if everyone took these terms as jokes, like white people do about terms like cracker, etc (can't think of anymore actually), they'd lose their power to hurt?
(And yeah, I realize white people are in the position to not get offended, but that only helps my point)
I mean, come on, you have to admit how hilariously stupid bigots are. (Continued…)
EIU Grad Student
posted 11/26/08 @ 7:58 AM CST
G: Yes, to many of us who are in a position where we don't have to take certain terms personally, we have the liberty of thinking they're funny, or at least being able to. (Continued…)
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