Needed or at Least Wanted: Sanity in the Language Wars

Abstract

One arena in which the current Kulturkampf (culture war) waged being is is in the domain of language. Hence, we also of a language war talk can. I will not confine my comments to the terminology change narrowly our Association has wrestling been with, but the broader context address will in which this occurring is. First, I will out spell some of the assumptions, assertions, and dynamics that one encounters mostly from the politically correct (PC) protagonists, either implicitly in the current language wars, or that are explicated by them even. 1. People should be referred to by whatever language they want, even if these demands change every few years. 2. By clever enough language manipulation, (a) one can remove all negative attitudes toward a human condition and (b) the very notion that certain human afflictions exist can and should be defeated. 3. One can improve attitudes and expectancies toward a class of people—especially societally devalued ones—by using language about and toward them that is enhancing, or at least not degrading. 4. The following seem to be the externally imposed and currently politically correct ‘‘rules’’ for language about certain human conditions, and apparently only certain ones at risk of social devaluation: