[conspire] Colson's Swim

[Nick Moffitt]

On 07Jun2020 10:10pm (-0700), Deirdre Saoirse Moen wrote:
> Now the thing is, they had tried for YEARS to change the language through the usual slow process, meeting after freaking meeting. Two years ago, they'd finally agreed to put a sign on the statue noting his involvement in the slave trade. But no one would ever agree on language that would include ANY reference to him being a slaver.
> 
> https://twitter.com/KateWilliamsme/status/1269713381973516290

The best comment yet was, of course, this one:

	https://twitter.com/TPAtticus/status/1269677226171215872

And this take had me in stitches:

	https://twitter.com/RobOnABike/status/1269679272530268173


But on the subject of language, I will just say that etymology is pedantry of the highest order.  It can be helpful for mnemonics, or translation work, or historical analysis of texts.  It is not helpful for making ethical decisions about the language you use to address various communites.

There is a word in English for "stingy" that sounds almost exactly like an N-bomb.  It has kicked off many debates on this topic for the past few decades at least, because it shares no etymology with the slur.

The question you need to ask yourself before you reach for this word is "will the audience receive this word in the spirit of its etymology, or as a thinly-veiled excuse to use its homophone?"

Taking this back a step: the question you *always* need to ask yourself when choosing words is "will my audience receive this communication clearly and accurately?"  For example, I wouldn't use the word "homophone" (as above) in a context where I worried that the audience would hear it as "homophobe" or mistakenly assume it had some other connection to LGBT topics.  I use it here because I expect you all to recognise its denotation without confusion.

Of course people will read advice on communicating clearly without unintended offence and immediately jump to a rabid "THOUGHT POLICE!!! THIS IS LIKE 1984!!!" reaction.

I remain, as always, singularly unimpressed by that reaction.




P.S: A friend of mine once had someone honk at them incessantly, chasing them until they both pulled over and got out of their cars.  Said friend demanded to know what was the matter, and the honker pointed at his EFF bumper sticker, which read:

	CRYPTOGRAPHY IS NOT A CRIME.

A moment of utter confusion was had, until the friend explained what cryptography *was*.

"Oh," said the honker, deflated.  "I thought it was something obscene to do with crypts."