Posted on 03/07/2007 3:49:51 AM PST by Nicholas Conradin
The New York City Council recently passed a resolution banning the use of the word “nigger.” The resolution, of course, is entirely symbolic, since trying to control language by fiat is like King Canute trying to stop the tide. Language isn’t legislated, but grows and changes organically through the people who speak it. That’s why the grammar police always fight a losing battle. More interesting is what this preening display of self-righteousness says about our culture of eternal childhood.
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You can’t have free speech and sensitivity to feelings at the same time. The issues we as citizens have to debate are contentious, complex, and involve passionately held and conflicting values and principles. To impose an arbitrary, subjective, finely calibrated standard of speech is to impose censorship. Not all true and useful ideas come in nice civil packages. Some of the truest political discourse one can hear these days is on the supremely vulgar and politically incorrect South Park.
(Excerpt) Read more at victorhanson.com ...
Are they gonna burn Mark Twains Books?
How about Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird"?
These people are so short sighted it is frightening
This seems to me to be a recent phenomenon. We grew up with "sticks and stones will break my bones..." and "I'll give you something to cry about"
"That’s why the grammar police always fight a losing battle."
I'd have to disagree with this statement. With political correctness being rampant everywhere you go, the lib grammar police have fought and won the battle.
Yes, if they could, they would.
And Ann Coulter would be tied to a stake in the middle of the pile.
ugh... this thing is doing some flaky things when I try to post....
My mother--and grandmother!--banned the word way back when I was a baby, and I didn't have to ban it; my children knew better without having to be told and were gentle and enlightened enough to need no further guidance. Giving the ban the force of law, however, is ridiculous and conflicts with the right of freedom of speech. Furthermore it augments the influence of the decadent, oppressive, Orwellian, and morally bankrupt Left.
The National Socialists did it before. The National Socialists will do it again.
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