A Word Too Far (Or If You’re Not Hardworking, You’re a Lazy SOB)

The language police are out of control. As if there aren’t enough problems in the world already. Call me one crazy, urban American, but I’m taking a stand against all the nonsense, because it’s potentially dangerous and definitely depressing. (That last sentence contained at least five offensive words. See if you can find them.)

Carey Smith | Founding Contrarian

A recent article in The Atlantic about what’s become termed “equity language” and those who anoint themselves its arbiters, led me to wonder: Where is George Orwell when you need him?

In his 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language,” Orwell railed against the “sheer humbug” of much written English, especially as it appeared in political and sociological spheres. A few years later, he took it a step further, coining the obfuscatory language of “Newspeak” in his dystopian classic 1984 (frequently banned itself). Newspeak eliminated vast swaths of common words and replaced them with euphemisms that served the totalitarian government’s interests. So it’s easy to imagine Orwell becoming apoplectic about so-called “equity language” and the proscriptive guides to the same that have been published by everyone from the Sierra Club (naturally) to the American Cancer Society.

Equity language, as laid out in these guides, eschews descriptive, seemingly innocuous words such as “urban,” “hardworking,” “brown bag,” “battle” and “depressing.” It even rejects “empower,” which was until last week, I thought, a good thing to do. Now it’s ixnay on the empowerway.

This has all been going on for a while, of course. But lately it has been spiraling out of control, as evidenced by some Dr. Seuss books being removed from publication — and more “inclusive” ones written — and the news that Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had undergone major edits. Maybe the outcry prompted by that most recent foolishness will fortify those who would speak out against this dangerous trend, and just maybe, cause the word-arbiters to pause before calling out perceived offenses.

Because while their efforts may be well intentioned, we all know what the road to hell is paved with. By attempting to impose new rules about what is acceptable language, this word police is creating problems, not solving them, and acting in a heavy-handed way that would make Big Brother — or Sister — proud.