Thanks to Andy Beshear!

[LAS14]

Tonight on The Newshour, Andy Beshear gave me words to explain my unease with some leftist behavior. This isn't a direct quote, but it's close.

One of the things the Democrats have to change is their language. Too often they sound like they're talking at instead of to people, Sometimes even talking down. An example is "substance abuse disorder." That doesn't contain the reality of "addiction." People need to get credit for wrestling something awful like "addiction." "Substance abuse disorder" doesn't do it.

I would add to that "differently abled." People who are blind or can't walk are dealing with real hardships.

What do you think?

In general, I sympathize with the impulse to remove stigmas, but I think the solution does more harm than good. I'll go so far as to say that I was not happy when some power on high (the AP, I think) declared that "black" should now be capitalized. One more way to identify people who are not sufficiently aware and erect barriers.

[msongs]

1. george carlin warned us about things like "Substance abuse disorder" lol nt

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. I say use the terms that people themselves prefer, not that a politician dictates

Reflexively resisting changes to language and terminology only creates a permission structure for hate and worse.

Substance abuse/misuse disorder is a diagnostic term- which is the reason we now use Intellectual Disability rather than the archaic, offensive “R word”. Addiction is an imprecise term with lots of stigma attached to it, versus substance abuse/misuse, versus substance dependence, etc.

[Frasier Balzov]

3. He's auditioning for the 2028 nomination.

Democratic governor of a red state carries a lot of credibility.

[newdeal2]

8. Can't think of a red state Democratic candidate who has made it far in a while

Not since Clinton and Gore I think.

[Big Blue Marble]

12. Did any of those you are thinking of

win their red state twice and be a very popular governor even in a very Trumpian state?

[Skittles]

4. and stop using the word OLIGARCHS

RICH ASSHOLES is much better

[Dear_Prudence]

5. Touchy subject.

I am mobility-challenged. One of my knee replacements never worked to restore function or to relieve pain. When I had to sign up for a handicapped parking sticker, I found it very stressful to have to formally embrace that designation. I have gotten used to it now. One coworker once "jokingly" called me "gimp" and another used it in a conversation I overheard. I found that term deeply offensive. In all cases, if a handicapped group prefers a certain designation, if Black people prefer capitalization, if "Eskimos" correct their name to Inuit, or so-called girls ask to be called women, I take my clues from those who are being addressed. Unless you are Black, handicapped, Inuit, or a woman, you can't know the bigotry that has been attached to the rejected terminology and labeling. I have experienced it and it leaves marks. Of course, as Beshere pointed out, sometimes the re-labeling can backfire, by minimizing the challenges faced by some group. Also, sometimes a person not familiar with the latest language update is painted as having bad intentions, which is unfortunate. Language evolves, and so must we. I worked in a library almost 50 years ago and I had to apply white-out to the subject card "Ladies Jobs" and type in "Women-Careers." And so it goes...

[a kennedy]

6. and I know, just because we're soooooo educated doesn't mean we can't talk to our neighbors.

They hate us for our “education”. So??? just loosen up.

[lame54]

7. Substance Abuse Disorder is new to me

[Wanderlust988]

9. Add "food insecurity". It's called HUNGER! We get too fancy on our side with these terms.

[Blue Full Moon]

10. Republicans are bubble people.

[Blue Full Moon]

11. Bothism is getting old. It literally seems to be their brains.

https://phys.org/news/2019-08-mental-rigidity-root-intense-political.html