Comments on: Clapping My Hand Over My Own Mouth

By: paula valerio

paula valerio — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 18:58:29 +0000

In a world of pc police, it is interesting to get a fresh perspective. I live in the PNW and we have a small town that has the state mental hospital and prison located within its boarders. The local schools mascot? The maniacs! I am shocked it hasn’t been changed. These little stick people mascots with crazy stick hair. At the same time, its their history. It’s what they are associated with in that area. As one person noted, it will be here long after we are gone. It is what it is. Sometimes, words are history too.

By: Carol Worthington-Levy

Carol Worthington-Levy — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 01:22:03 +0000

P.S. As someone who wears hearing aids, i find the phrase ‘hard of hearing’ in a negative way. People who are not responsible enough to get and wear hearing aide, or my great aunt or grandad, were hard of hearing. “Ehhh? What’s that? Speak up!” The implication is that I expect everyone to snap to it and speak up, as if it’s their fault that they can’t be heard.

On the rare occasions when i am struggling to hear someone, I’ll sometimes say, “I’m afraid I’ll need you to repeat that — I have a hearing disability”, indicating that I am aware that they must make more of an effort to speak louder and i appreciate that.

By: Carol Worthington-Levy

Carol Worthington-Levy — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 16:58:29 +0000

A writer friend, Gennifer Choldenko, recommended this article and I love the thoughts expressed.

I must say, as a working artist, i work constantly to determine effective critique language. Saying a painting is stupid doesn’t forward the conversation. Saying that one color doesn’t seem to work wiht the others because it’s the only (warm or cool) color on the canvas is more useful. It also doesn’t make the critique as ‘personal’ and it provides more useful ways to converse about the work and the artist’s intentions.

Likewise, while I love to just say that a certain person in high office is a freaking moron, it’s more expressive to say that he refuses to accept guidance from the experts around him, and that is making life hard for many people. Yes, it’s more fun to say ‘freaking moron’ but thinking about what makes him so creates a better space to discuss the situation.

In the world of politics, many Americans resort to catch phrases that are easy to chant or shout, than to look objectively themselves and choose language that defines and provides evidence of the infraction causing the outburst.

Easy-to-shout language is often what causes offense to others who might feel otherwise, and perhaps if we all thought more about our language in this incendiary period of our lives, we would be able to have discussions with those with whom we disagree.

By: Cass

Cass — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 22:27:24 +0000

I think that anyone who is afraid of saying something offensive is a kind and considerate person. We can’t be perfect but we can damn well try. I wonder if when talking to people with physical or mental limitations we can ask them what they prefer. My 11 yr old daughter asked about a man at a local lgbtq+ youth center and I said, “Honey, she is a woman.” To which my 14 yr old son said, “Mom, he’s a man. Pronouns. He/Him.” I’m learning to pay attention to pronouns so I know what people prefer and if I can’t tell, I’m working up my courage to ask.” My girlfriend is black and she told me she prefers the term black as opposed to African American. I have mental illness and I don’t have a problem with the term “crazy” but it bugs me when people say they are “OCD” (being OCD is so much more and so much worse than wanting to keep your desk neat). I distinctly remember 20 years ago when a coworker referred to a customer as “mentally unstable” right after I got out of the hospital the second time in a month for my mental illness. She didn’t know I had been in the hospital and it wasn’t meant to make me feel bad but it did. Your piece is a good reminder to check my language so I don’t make others uncomfortable.

By: Evelina @ AvalinahsBooks

Evelina @ AvalinahsBooks — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 15:00:14 +0000

The language thing can be really hard. I struggle with it a lot, especially because I don’t actually have any, well, disabled people around me. And in my country, it’s not even at that point yet. People in wheelchairs can’t even go out most of the time, they’re completely isolated I went to England on a visit this year and was surprised to see so many people in wheelchairs out on the town, in festivals, eating out in restaurants. That doesn’t happen for people in Lithuania. It just doesn’t. It makes me profoundly sad. But I went on a tangent.

Anyway, yeah, the language thing can be so complicated, especially because people have different opinions on different words (like you say), and I genuinely worry I’ll hurt someone, argh. So far, the hardest word for me to ditch is ‘crazy’ and ‘insane’. There’s just not a good replacement that’s emotionally on the same scale. Normally when I say that, I just mean “that’s very intense”, and not in a bad way a lot of times. Wish I found a better word for it.

Also, just wanted to say, that’s an amazing photo of Sophie. She’s all grown up :,)

By: sam

sam — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 04:10:47 +0000

words . .the problem is they are limited by our eyes, ears and imaginations. I threw out all of them and became theatre:together .at least it’s a trifle less limiting and more fun to play with. . .
One day, at an ASU football game my son responded to some loud, obnoxious men hurling insults at the other team. He stood, all 6’3′ of his out spoken, multi-brain damaged self looked these men in the eye and said . ” so, are you saying retarded is a bad thing?????”
They changed seats . . I’ve lived trying to answer that question for all in my path. Thanks for being your brave outspoken self!. . . .xxxxx

By: Claudia Hagen

Claudia Hagen — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 23:33:37 +0000

What would help as much is a list if acceptable words. Ridiculous does not really work in most cases for stupid. What are the acceptable words? I dont even know how to ask the question for fear of being offensive.

By: Camille

Camille — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:50:49 +0000

Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m saving this and sharing it with my communications colleagues so we can be better informed when we write copy related to mental health and disability. And as the mom of a little girl with Down syndrome, I love that you had the privilege (or maybe you viewed it as a burden) of revising this style guide. Thank you for taking on this difficult and nuanced work!

By: Denise Resnik

Denise Resnik — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 18:37:32 +0000

Another powerful post! Thank you, Amy!!

By: Laura Greenberg

Laura Greenberg — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 18:30:28 +0000

Hi Amy, Great entry. You know how if you say the same word over and over again, really fast, how it (momentarily anyway) stops having the same meaning?. We give meaning to words, we take meaning away. Cultural dips and changes favor words for a distinct period of time, then suddenly, fall out of favor. Which got me to to thinking how groups and affiliations tend to take words back — to be different on purpose –the N-word taken back by hip-hop and often used affectionately. That word is not available for me. I also think of Queer. The Sho Time series, Queer as Folk reclaimed that word to give it some positive spin, and it’s also become a way to say, I’m different but I’m proud. . Words come and go depending on the culture and time we’re living in. I’ve never used the R word talking about a person, but I have used it with It before it — about an idea. I’m Jewish and a friend of mine, also Jewish said “I Jewed him down.” I felt myself flinch. I guess in the end, all words are living, breathing things that will continue to change long after we’re gone. I heard you were in Tucson for Barflies — if you ever come again, please let me know xoxoxLaura