No in fact. If someone’s “wokeness” bothers you, it’s your problem. Though I do agree that every social movement goes through a “shrill and over-enthusiastic” phase while everybody gets adjusted.
Kelley also feels that removing statues of Confederate “heroes” is wrong, that requiring science teachers to give equal time to the 6000 year “biblical science” is proper. And that the GOP can do no wrong.
I have to admit that it does seem to get a bit out of control. The company I work for (very large, been around for a VERY long time, pretty conservative) now has updated the company email signature templates to allow/include preferred pronouns and “gender identity/expression” I just sighed and left mine the way it has been for years. As Concretionist noted, these things go through an adjustment phase—it will calm down.
There’s a feature of language called "marking"—given a binary opposition, one term of the opposition may have wider extension than the other. The term with wider extension is unmarked, the other is marked. So, for instance, “old” is generally less marked than “young”, so we ask of a person, old or young, “How old is he?” rather than “How young is he?” (Generally; there are exceptions.) When we are measuring a piece of string we ask “How long is it?” rather than “How short is it?”, even if it’s short, so “long” is unmarked and “short” marked. That’s a brief summary; it gets more complicated. In English, until recently, the masculine words were often unmarked (“poet”) and the feminine words (“poetess”) were marked. Some people objected because that marking tended to suggest that there was something “normal” or “natural” about being masculine but “abnormal” about being feminine. Language isn’t usually changed by politics, but this time it has been, and most of us have become more careful about the sexist implications of grammatical gender. Some people are now using the third person plural pronouns (“they”/“them”) for singulars, in order to avoid “he/him” and “she/her”. The outrage against this seems to me misplaced. In the second person we regularly use the plural form “you” instead of the old singular “thee/thou” and usually there’s not much problem. In any case, the singular “they/them” has actually been around for a long time, even if it’s not accepted by the school books. This will all settle out eventually. In the meantime, let’s all just try to be polite to each other.
When I was a kid, people were allowed to smoke anywhere, even on airplanes during flight. There were separate bathrooms and drinking fountains for “white” and “colored” at our local bus station. Just two examples, out of many I could think of.
Things are different now, and I would say we’re better off as a result. Were those changes brought about by “wokeness”? And if so, why is that so very awful?
Daeder over 2 years ago
Everyone who’s not wealthy, white, straight and protestant should just sit down and shut up, right Kelley?
Concretionist over 2 years ago
No in fact. If someone’s “wokeness” bothers you, it’s your problem. Though I do agree that every social movement goes through a “shrill and over-enthusiastic” phase while everybody gets adjusted.
Kelley also feels that removing statues of Confederate “heroes” is wrong, that requiring science teachers to give equal time to the 6000 year “biblical science” is proper. And that the GOP can do no wrong.
FJB Premium Member over 2 years ago
Funny
Patjade over 2 years ago
Been listening to FTucker Carlson again, Skelley?
cpiller Premium Member over 2 years ago
I have to admit that it does seem to get a bit out of control. The company I work for (very large, been around for a VERY long time, pretty conservative) now has updated the company email signature templates to allow/include preferred pronouns and “gender identity/expression” I just sighed and left mine the way it has been for years. As Concretionist noted, these things go through an adjustment phase—it will calm down.
lonecat over 2 years ago
There’s a feature of language called "marking"—given a binary opposition, one term of the opposition may have wider extension than the other. The term with wider extension is unmarked, the other is marked. So, for instance, “old” is generally less marked than “young”, so we ask of a person, old or young, “How old is he?” rather than “How young is he?” (Generally; there are exceptions.) When we are measuring a piece of string we ask “How long is it?” rather than “How short is it?”, even if it’s short, so “long” is unmarked and “short” marked. That’s a brief summary; it gets more complicated. In English, until recently, the masculine words were often unmarked (“poet”) and the feminine words (“poetess”) were marked. Some people objected because that marking tended to suggest that there was something “normal” or “natural” about being masculine but “abnormal” about being feminine. Language isn’t usually changed by politics, but this time it has been, and most of us have become more careful about the sexist implications of grammatical gender. Some people are now using the third person plural pronouns (“they”/“them”) for singulars, in order to avoid “he/him” and “she/her”. The outrage against this seems to me misplaced. In the second person we regularly use the plural form “you” instead of the old singular “thee/thou” and usually there’s not much problem. In any case, the singular “they/them” has actually been around for a long time, even if it’s not accepted by the school books. This will all settle out eventually. In the meantime, let’s all just try to be polite to each other.
librarylady59 over 2 years ago
Woke, wokeness… such silly wordiness.
Glibster Premium Member over 2 years ago
“Hey you” works for me, and it’s gender neutral.
kentmarx36 over 2 years ago
Why not just send Kelly as his doppelgangers to the Taliban? Life-changing improvement in the American countryside instantaneously.
Local 574 Premium Member over 2 years ago
Trying to stay woke must be exhausting.
I Play One On TV over 2 years ago
When I was a kid, people were allowed to smoke anywhere, even on airplanes during flight. There were separate bathrooms and drinking fountains for “white” and “colored” at our local bus station. Just two examples, out of many I could think of.
Things are different now, and I would say we’re better off as a result. Were those changes brought about by “wokeness”? And if so, why is that so very awful?
DrDon1 over 2 years ago
It appears that at least one thing is constant with Kelley … He is against social progress!
lawguy05 over 2 years ago
Liberalism is a disease.
lawguy05 over 2 years ago
Keep it up, Mr. Kelley! You’re doing a fantastic job espousing the TRUTH.