How To Speak!

In my town, some of our speech is quite colorful. Labels I have heard include, “flatlander”, “redneck”, “hillbilly”, “tweeker”, “skank”, “dirtbag”, and worse. Recently a friend made a comment to me using the “N” word for shock value, but not hatefully. The next day he and a Black friend enjoyed coffee one-on-one.

We should all speak respectfully of those who deserve respect. But I’m more concerned about the hysterical, politically correct crowd depriving others of their freedom of speech and thought? When they find a flaw in our established vocabularies and deep-rooted opinions, they label us hateful. We are then expected to adopt their more sensitive words and beliefs. But haven’t they gone too far?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines hate speech as: “Bigoted speech attacking or disparaging a social or ethnic group or an individual member of such a group.” The U. S. Supreme Court has said that unless even truly hateful speech is intended to evoke an immediate violent response, it’s protected under the First Amendment.

My late Uncle Wally often offended us with derisive terms. Not for Armenians because he was one! Wally was fond of his grandson’s wife Lupita, but he always addressed her as “Damned Little Mexican”. He wasn’t hateful and she thought it was funny.

Isn’t it ironic that the standards change when the pious, politically correct use similar terms, or label someone a redneck, racist, bigot, or hate-monger. We defensively soak up their criticism, and try not to offend further. But still they go on tirades at the slightest ill-chosen bit of speech or humor.

My habit of calling a waitress “Hon” makes my wife cringe. And many years ago praise was an integral part of my managerial style! But God forbid today that a boss would “sexually harass” his secretary by saying, “You look very nice.”

Words such as boy, fat, short, loud, ugly, phony, bad, all skin colors, sexual preferences, and other descriptive terms may soon be off limits. It’s already professionally fatal for radio or TV hosts, even shock-jocks, to imply that people jump, run, look, speak, eat, think, or act differently.

Three ill–conceived words knocked repulsive talk show host Don Imus’ right out of his lucrative job! And hypocritical, racial agitators such as “Reverend” Al Sharpton hoped for eternal banishment. How hateful was that? And more recently Dog the Bounty Hunter used the “N” word during a private phone call. Private! Not on TV or radio! He lost his TV show over that!

Both men denied being racist. Demanding that they grovel publicly only drove any actual racial hostility even deeper. Their apologies were motivated by lost money not contrition.

A couple of my critics labeled me “Gestapo”, “bigot”, “brutal” and “insensitive”, so I recalled the grade school rhyme I used against verbal bullies. “Sticks and stones can break my bones but names can never hurt me!” Childish perhaps, but the sensitivity of some has reached the ridiculous stage. We all need to relax, and appreciate the true intent behind the words. Stupid but protected verbiage isn’t nearly as divisive as the radical reactions that always seem to follow. Feel free to disagree but that’s “The Way I See It!”

NJ