August 10, 2007--Fanaticism LXXXVI: The B-Word
It used to be said that a picture is worth a thousand words. But there are certain words that are worth many more. “Nigger,” for example. More words, more blood have been spilled over its use than perhaps any other word or epithet. So much so that one cannot use it comfortably even, like here, when attempting to write about it analytically. Books such as Huckleberry Finn have been banned because they include the N-word, albeit in the case of Huck affectionately and satirically. And its use has been legislatively banned in many places, of course, including New York City where earlier this year the City Council passed legislation forbidding its use.
That initiative, which I suppose was so effective in stamping out bigotry and discrimination, is now leading to a move to ban other linguistic slurs. Councilwoman Darlene Mealy is pressing for the passage of a law that would forbid the use of Bitch, “the B-word” as it is referred to in her bill. She claims that it represents “a vile attack on women.” She is quick to add, though, that the word as it applies to female dogs--its classical meaning: they use it all the time at the elite Westminster Kennel Club Show--will be “grandfathered in.” (See NY Times article linked below.)
Thus far nearly half her City Council colleagues have signed on; and while they were at it added “Ho” to the list of banned words, citing its corrupting use, as well as “Bitch,” in hip-hop music. In fact, they cited ten rappers by name in the legislation as especially guilty of committing these linguistic crimes.
This by the way is occurring in the same city that was virtually shut down on Wednesday by two inches of rain. While the City Council and the Mayor were engaged in this noble effort, nearly all the subways were shut down for the entire day and there was no system to inform riders of what was happening. In a post-9/11 world, almost six years after the fact, unlike other cities, we have no way to alert people to subway delays much less acts of underground terrorism.
Rather, our leaders have turned their attention to protecting women from the wounds of this word, again quoting Ms. Mealy, because it creates “a paradigm of shame and indignity” for all women.
While we’re at it, how about banning the P-word? I’m paradigmed out.
That initiative, which I suppose was so effective in stamping out bigotry and discrimination, is now leading to a move to ban other linguistic slurs. Councilwoman Darlene Mealy is pressing for the passage of a law that would forbid the use of Bitch, “the B-word” as it is referred to in her bill. She claims that it represents “a vile attack on women.” She is quick to add, though, that the word as it applies to female dogs--its classical meaning: they use it all the time at the elite Westminster Kennel Club Show--will be “grandfathered in.” (See NY Times article linked below.)
Thus far nearly half her City Council colleagues have signed on; and while they were at it added “Ho” to the list of banned words, citing its corrupting use, as well as “Bitch,” in hip-hop music. In fact, they cited ten rappers by name in the legislation as especially guilty of committing these linguistic crimes.
This by the way is occurring in the same city that was virtually shut down on Wednesday by two inches of rain. While the City Council and the Mayor were engaged in this noble effort, nearly all the subways were shut down for the entire day and there was no system to inform riders of what was happening. In a post-9/11 world, almost six years after the fact, unlike other cities, we have no way to alert people to subway delays much less acts of underground terrorism.
Rather, our leaders have turned their attention to protecting women from the wounds of this word, again quoting Ms. Mealy, because it creates “a paradigm of shame and indignity” for all women.
While we’re at it, how about banning the P-word? I’m paradigmed out.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
11:34 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home