I’m happy to see the reemergence of the English language. What? You say. The English language disappeared? When did that happen and how is it I am still speaking colloquial english? What I’m referring to are the people that decided, a minority by the way, that some words just may not be used in polite society. But some of these words have been used for decades, if not longer, without anyone in particular being damaged by the word itself.

Remember the old English proverb, you learned as a child? Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never harm me. Unless you let them. But who’s fault is that? Well, says some in society, we can’t take the chance of one person being offended (out of a population of over 300 million) and therefore should ban the usage of some words, even if they may have other meanings? I’m just going to cite 2 examples here, the first one being the word retard or retarded. Back in the early 2,000’s, as far as I can recall, this word, used in everyday language as a perjorative to represent someone that’s dumb or stupid. This the intellectual woke told us, was unacceptable language as it diminishes those that have an intellectual disability.

Sure, I guess if someone walked up to someone with that type of disability and ca;;ed that person a retard, then that person might take offense. But was this common, ever? Maybe with children. As we all know, children can bw=e cruel at times but is this common today? I don’t think it is today or have was, anywhere. Besides, the word retard is used in science and engineering. You can retard an engine for instance, or use chemicals on fabric to slow them burning (flame retardant). I think these uses continued, so why not the pejorative version?

The same argument goes with the word crippled. Yes, there are people that are crippled and, by the way, they are aware of their condition so using that word around them is not pejorative, it’s just descriptive. But not to that same group that believed words cause harm and that we should never refer to anyone that has a physical limitation as crippled. No, it’s disabled person. Which is amorphous because a disability can be anything. Someone in a vegetative state could be referred to as disabled. Technically, they’re still alive, aren’t they?

You can also cripple (disable) a car, or any machine or appliance. So why allow it’s use in some instances, but not another which is not disparaging anyone?

I’ve noticed these words making a comeback, notably online where it looked to me the greatest pushback against these words occurred I’m glad people are finally saying they won’t be bullied any longer by a minority. Let’s let the woke keep their saf e spaces because they apparently need them and the rest of us can live in the real world.