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Harmful Ableist Language

Although I understand the context and perspective presented in this piece, these words are: (1) part of the modern literary and conversational vernacular, (2) words can have different intent and meaning,...context and perspective is key, and (3) there isn't enough "wokeness" in this world to change things tomorrow, next month, next year,...but perhaps in 10 or 20 years.

I am not defending the use of "ableist" vocabulary, but as someone in my 50's,....it's been a part of my vernacular for as long as I have been speaking,... and when said, has nothing, at all with harmful intent,...it's an innocent expression,...but recognize that others might not see it that way. I do understand how someone could be insulted by this language if they are sensitive to it. Every once in a blue moon I will hear people using the word "autistic" in a way, that I might take as offensive, but the people using it might not have even thought about it that way. I just don't see myself contemplating every word, running it though my "woke" filter, before opening up my mouth,...I have a hard time speaking as it is without that additional delay.

I do appreciate that we should all be better human beings and think before we say things. I do appreciate that if we are going to do this, we need to have a conversation about it,...but personally, I don't see many changing old habits anytime soon. So, keep up the fight, and be patient with society.
 
I'm not buying it; it takes simile and metaphor out of the language.

If, as the author says at the end, 2/3rds of the British population is uncomfortable talking to a disabled person--could it be that 2/3rds of the population doesn't want to accidentally offend someone who's all into this linguistic fragility?
 
Neonatal RRT said:
Although I understand the context and perspective presented in this piece, these words are: (1) part of the modern literary and conversational vernacular, (2) words can have different intent and meaning,...context and perspective is key, and (3) there isn't enough "wokeness" in this world to change things tomorrow, next month, next year,...but perhaps in 10 or 20 years.

I am not defending the use of "ableist" vocabulary, but as someone in my 50's,....it's been a part of my vernacular for as long as I have been speaking,... and when said, has nothing, at all with harmful intent,...it's an innocent expression,...but recognize that others might not see it that way. I do understand how someone could be insulted by this language if they are sensitive to it. Every once in a blue moon I will hear people using the word "autistic" in a way, that I might take as offensive, but the people using it might not have even thought about it that way. I just don't see myself contemplating every word, running it though my "woke" filter, before opening up my mouth,...I have a hard time speaking as it is without that additional delay.

I do appreciate that we should all be better human beings and think before we say things. I do appreciate that if we are going to do this, we need to have a conversation about it,...but personally, I don't see many changing old habits anytime soon. So, keep up the fight, and be patient with society.
Click to expand...
Quite right. We are a small rudder on a massive ocean liner.
 
This article just screams "clickbait" to me.

And I notice that almost IMMEDIATELY at the start of it they drop no less than three freaking links to articles about the sorts of issues that get people overly fired up and arguing with each other. Links that stand out so that even if you just skim down a little bit as some readers do, you WILL spot them. That's pretty typical trickery for a site like this.

You've really got to just stop reading this stuff. You find it offensive or bothersome because it is literally designed to be that way... that's the entire bloody point. It offends you, so it gets you to click more and share it with others, to get even more clicks. It is not designed to inform or help (or even be accurate!) as I've said before.
 
Almost all of the articles that pop up on my Google homepage are extremely triggering or offensive in some way- and they appear there because of harmless topics I’ve Googled!! I know it would be pretty easy to just use a different web browser but I’m getting pretty good at not feeding into the clickbait.
The news likes to exaggerate, cause a negative reaction, and blow things out of proportion. That’s how they pull in and keep viewers.
On the other hand, yes, a lot of that language is ableist and offensive- but it’s probably not intended that way in every situation. I’m not defending it, because I know people throw around “Autism” and “Aspergers” and the names of various mental health disorders as slurs too. It’s sad.
Hopefully someday sooner rather than later, people will start to become more aware of the fact that they’re unintentionally saying things that are ableist, racist, homophobic, etc. Education is so important.
But yeah, my original point… articles like that are clickbait and intended to incite anger and negativity. But I guess it got me too. Lol
 
If "turning a blind eye" is ableist derision, then what are we to make of the commonly-used words, "mind blindness" which often are used as a description of one feature of autism?

As a person with a disability, I'd be happy to have people want to talk with me if they are earnest and sincere. Their words, well, I can deal with that.
 
crewlucaa_ said:
Almost all of the articles that pop up on my Google homepage are extremely triggering or offensive in some way- and they appear there because of harmless topics I’ve Googled!! I know it would be pretty easy to just use a different web browser but I’m getting pretty good at not feeding into the clickbait.
Click to expand...

Using a different browser or search engine wouldnt do anything.

They're ALL like that. What's more, the engines themselves are... deceptive. I'll put it this way: That number of results that Google likes to brag about every time you search? It's usually like "HOLY CHICKEN FARTS I FOUND 10000000000000000000 RESULTS". The true number aint anywhere NEAR what it actually says it is. Not... even... close. But it wont hesitate to lie to you about it to impress you with OMG BIG NUMBER and thus get you thinking that it's amazing and you should keep using it.

There's way, way more to the manipulative shady stuff than just clickbait... always keep that in mind.
 
When I hear stuff like this it always reminds me of this Margaret Atwood short story I loved back in HS. She was definitely woke way before "woke" existed.

I was recently pondering posting about how these days you can pretty much offend anybody just by breathing, that eventually we're all going to 'cancel' each other out until there's no one left to offend. Being human is no longer acceptable these days.

...but then I figured I'd offend someone.
 

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Everything has gotten insanely politically correct and it's driving me completely foolish. I'm left handed, so maybe everyone should stop using phrases like "sinister" and "two left feet" and "left-handed compliment". But handist language seems to be the *only* offensive language people don't care about using. Heck, even the word "right" meaning "correct" is handist. But nope, the right-handers just don't understand or care, it wasn't all that long ago when lefties were all treated like garbage. It's more tolerated now, at least in most western countries, but it seems to me righties just really want all us lefties to become ambidextrous while they don't have to.
The world is getting worse every single day, and I am going to have a complete nervous breakdown by the time I'm 50 years old.
 
i’m left-handed too, @GrownupGirl
I suggest some of us could re-establish a sane life. With some effort a person can step away from lockstep reliance on the juggernaut of endless pleasure seeking, entertainment, society’s comparisons and competitiveness, the addiction to hierarchical judgement of self and others.
 
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So everyone is supposed to change their words so emotionally fragile people don't feel hurt by perceived "micro-aggressions"? I think telling people they shouldn't use the phrase “fall on deaf ears” because an extremely sensitive deaf person might misinterpret it and get offended by it is ridiculous. Why not encourage mentally ill people to see a therapist to learn how to think correctly so they don't get offended over everything?
 
There is probably an endless list of words that someone, somewhere, doesn't like. Better to adopt attitudes that avoid negative feelings when none are intended. If you take offense when nobody wanted to offend you, you are in the wrong.

If you take offense when somebody wants to offend you, you've just handed them a success.
 
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