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Brainstorming: Should we be offended?

Sat, 06/21/2008 - 13:31
So my yahoo news feed sent me this. http://social.moldova.org/stiri/eng/128767/ As I was reading it I was thinking how absurd it was. Heck, half of the words we use can be seen as offensive if we were to break them down all entymologically and historically and on and on. I think the bigger issue is ignorance towards what epilepsy is. Outlawing the usage of the word "brainstorming" or another other word like it is not going to educate anyone, if anything it makes me feel like that sort of thing just adds more of a stigma and thus makes us more vulnearable. I see it as just another well-meaning, but wayward, example of institutional action that amounts to not doing anything at all except avoiding measures that might actually be helpful. In this case the measure was declared as extreme and unnessary, as it was, but I think this happens elsewhere as well. If people are ignorant they can still be very mean while trying to be very politically correct in their language. (Like my martial arts instructer who was careful not to address the class as "you guys" since I was (the lone) female but did not allow me to spar when I reached level because "women need to learn pragmatic things, like escape tactics.") What does everyone else think about this? Having epilepsy, are there things people say that offend you? (I don't mean like directly insulting you.)

Comments

Re: Brainstorming: Should we be offended?

Submitted by croesus on Thu, 2008-09-04 - 15:24

On behalf of the ever-decreasing number of reasonably sane Brits, and as someone who lives within spitting distance of the place, it may help to know to know that in this country,  Tunbridge Wells has become  best known  as the home of "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells", AKA  old farts who have nothing better to do than to write to the media to complain about just anything, however trivial.    Add to that the apparent need for august bodies to win the title of the daftest  council of the year, and this is the kind of twaddle that results. 

Well spotted Moldova,  but in this country, sadly, this stupidity is all too commonplace to merit a ripple in the press.

 

croesus

On behalf of the ever-decreasing number of reasonably sane Brits, and as someone who lives within spitting distance of the place, it may help to know to know that in this country,  Tunbridge Wells has become  best known  as the home of "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells", AKA  old farts who have nothing better to do than to write to the media to complain about just anything, however trivial.    Add to that the apparent need for august bodies to win the title of the daftest  council of the year, and this is the kind of twaddle that results. 

Well spotted Moldova,  but in this country, sadly, this stupidity is all too commonplace to merit a ripple in the press.

 

croesus

Re: Brainstorming: Should we be offended?

Submitted by pigsrock09 on Sun, 2008-09-14 - 20:43

I think it's ridiculous to be offended by words as harmless as "brainstorming". Brainstorming is just coming up with ideas and exploring new possibilities. What's offensive about that? It was never meant to have any relationship with seizures and we can't go around "modifying the dictionary" and the vocabulary of people everywhere to satisfy superactivists who will never be content until people with epilepsy are the ones put up on exalted pedastals instead of the celebrities! I myself have epilepsy, and if there was meant to be any connection between the two I would personally take it as a compliment. Please, if you really find this offensive, take a reality check.

I think it's ridiculous to be offended by words as harmless as "brainstorming". Brainstorming is just coming up with ideas and exploring new possibilities. What's offensive about that? It was never meant to have any relationship with seizures and we can't go around "modifying the dictionary" and the vocabulary of people everywhere to satisfy superactivists who will never be content until people with epilepsy are the ones put up on exalted pedastals instead of the celebrities! I myself have epilepsy, and if there was meant to be any connection between the two I would personally take it as a compliment. Please, if you really find this offensive, take a reality check.

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