Slang and the Organics of Language

Slang is an organic language. It allows us to abandon grammar and twist the meanings of terms. Thanks to text messaging, a whole new slang begins to evolve. If you wanted to text a message to someone telling them that, in your opinion, the weird kid at school was a “retard”, you might type “rtrd”, and suddenly create a txt-msg term that may find its way into the SMS vernacular and into cel phones all over the world.

If one were to send a message that describes someone as a goon, bitch, whore, ho, gangsta – it would only go to show that we not only take language for granted, we do so with a very narrow mind, branded by media and proliferated on the street by weaker minds (with the assistance of technology). It was weaker minds that stood by ignorantly as thousands, even millions of people were exterminated – in Europe, in Russia, in Africa, and in South America. Common terms like “vermin” described the innocent, like “retard” describes the innocent.

My Father was Jewish. To this day, when I hear someone say, I really “Jewed” him, I take offence. Some would say I should get on with it. Tell that to DOG (the network TV bounty hunter). The only reason DOG is scrambling through his PR nightmare is because what he took for granted isn’t really taken for granted on a much bigger scale.

According to Dictionary.com, to discriminate is to note or observe a difference, to make a distinction in favor of or against a person or thing on the basis of the group, class, or category to which the person or thing belongs rather than according to actual merit – in other words, to show partiality.

As organic as language is, it can become a lethal weapon, especially when it shapes the thinking of large numbers of people. The truth is, each one of us – even you who are reading this – as much as you may have strong principles – you and I, we discriminate everyday. The moment we think someone is a “jerk”, we discriminate. Of course, many will argue that it is a matter of degrees. How many degrees will it take until it matters?

Any term that implicitly denigrates and discriminates can become harmful when it continues to promote a destructive perspective. If a young child hears the term “retard” often enough – and we can assume it will be expressed with some level of derogatory venom – then that child will eventually accept it as a brand. When they encounter someone who has a mental handicap, chances are the subliminal part of the mind will invoke the thought of “retard”. In time, they will see anyone who they consider foolish, slow or stupid as a “retard”.

Ask yourself this: when one sees a black woman on a bus, does one think “ho”? When a man in a box store haggles over the price of a TV, does one think he’s trying to “jew” the sales clerk? When we see a group of kids strutting the streets, wearing head bands and bling – do we think “gangsta”? When one sees a young couple from the Middle East (or Greece, Croatia, Russia, Edmonton, LA), does one think “terrorists”?

I wish for a world in which, one day, we will only see humanity; a world in which to discriminate means to discern with positive clarity, noting differences as something beautiful as opposed to something ugly. I hope that the next time you hear the term “retard”, it will be an ugly experience and offend you. Because it is an ugly, offensive experience and it is discriminatory. So, text that message on …