Controlling the language is an important step towards controlling many arguments; language is, in a sense, the terrain upon which arguments are fought It’s instructive, then, to consider the current academic skirmishing along “Pronoun Ridge,” a key piece of our linguistic terrain. A “pronoun,” as grammar school informed us, is a word
Evangelicals and Christians are now under intense public pressure to condemn one particular adulterer. Weirdly, this pressure comes from many of the same people who normally cleave to a one-verse New Testament (“Judge not, lest ye be judged!”). But in the wake of potential revelations about the president, these formerly “non-judgmental” observers are
A group of librarians at Boston’s Simmons College are attempting to breathe new life into an old librarian stereotype. An “Anti-Oppression Library Guide” takes library “shushing” behavior to new, socially aware levels, and has excited comment, particularly for its section regarding how to avoid offending Muslims. The guide identifies phrases supposedly offensive to
Our forefathers obviously had a very different idea of activism than we have today; it was a relatively slow process, to load an 18th-century activist with principles (given the energy necessary to propel the activism). To ignite this fuel, a relatively primitive, and slow-burning ignition system was used, and sometimes passions might flame
And how much are YOU worth, Nancy? The impertinent heckler hollers— But the answer, my friend, as it blows in the wind, Is quite hard to express in mere dollars What have you been worth to us, Nancy? Though inquring’s egregious effront’ry— We ask, not what our tax money’s done for you But
The U.S. Army on Tuesday announced it would award the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Medal of Heroism to the three high school cadets slain attempting to protect their classmates during last week’s murderous attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. The grieving families of heroic JROTC Cadets Peter Wang,
As the usual suspects enter into the steps of the gun-control dance once more, the ringing tones of “shall not be infringed!” and the admonition of “well-regulated” will sound again from sea to shining sea, and across the reaches of the internet. Since, at this point, every sentient citizen has already hashed those
Historical perspective acts as a prophylactic against current events hysteria—so much so, in fact, that I sometimes think we should perhaps advocate the free distribution of historical perspective (perhaps through local school systems, though that may prove a bit too controversial).Take the matter of the apparently-terrifying proposal made by President Trump, that the United
Shreena Gandhi, a religious studies professor at Michigan State University, has made headlines with her provocative article calling the practice of yoga “white supremacy,” and referring to those to whom yoga “actually belongs” (hint: not YOU, you privileged villain). Ironically enough, a little research shows that modern yoga actually owes a great deal
A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.—Proverbs 14:6 The congressional Democrats' group sulk during the 2018 State of the Union address seemed to indicate an inability, or more likely, a stubborn unwillingness, to learn from the experiences of the past year. That, we can
