Due at midnight on October 15:
Many slang terms have bigoted histories of which their contemporary users are sometimes unaware. Most of us are sensitive to the harmful potential of words such as “gay,” “fag,” “pussy,” or “bitch,” and “nigger” has become such a dirty word in our culture that it is widely considered completely unutterable in any context. Using it as an example here, in fact, will probably raise quite a few eyebrows. Nevertheless, we have almost certainly all encountered situations wherein some of these words have been thrown around with arguably innocent intentions, and the knowledge that “gyp” (to cheat or swindle) is an abbreviation for “gypsy,” or that “lunatic” derives from the stereotype that women are driven crazy during menstruation (which is on a luna-r cycle), has basically become cocktail trivia, with the new meanings far outweighing the old in vernacular use. How do we balance a committment to tolerance and respectful language with an appreciation for the way language evolves over time? Is there a statute of limitations on linguistic bigotry? Do we have a responsibility to research the history of every word that we use? Is there a point past which the early roots are completely lost? Even if we only focus on words that still have hateful connotations today, does doing so have an impact? Basically, how does changing the way we talk change the way we think and act, and how much energy should be spent on taking stands against abusive language?

Due at midnight on October 31: TBA