Regarding what is acceptable language: A number of years ago a well-educated colleague friend came back from visiting her small town in the Midwest and told me gleefully that she had "Jewed down" a farmer's market vendor. I pointed out that this was a very offensive, anti-Semitic slur, and it hurt me deeply (especially being Jewish) to hear it come out of her mouth. She was amazed, didn't realize she had even used the phrase, and had no idea about its history. She also apologized and said the phrase was always used as she grew up, and she had never even thought about it! Sometimes education is all we need to change historically anti-Semitic or racist language that has become embedded in our culture.
Now, I'm Butt-hurt. In explaining, Butt Hurt, you reference it at least 9 times. Like that University teacher- there should be consequences! First Rule of Butt Hurt Club is not Butt Hurting. Then you add comments of "Cop Out" which has a hidden meaning of "there's never a police person around when you need one." (For the record - going to polling place and cast blank ballot is still better than not voting at all. I'm look at 70+% of you Chicagoans.) You cast a vote (even Blank) you get to complain. Non-voters don't get to complain. Same category level - "I don't live in Chicago, but I would have voted for ____." There is no risk in which way you 'would' have voted, but you are thinking from the mindset of an outsider - not someone who directly is impacted by the mayoral choice.
Regarding the low voter turnout, it is shocking especially since the issues of crime and taxation seem to be so important to many. As of election night 90,000 mail in ballots had not been returned. These are people that took the time to apply for a mail in ballot. The mail-in ballot system is not working as it should because the POST OFFICE IS NOT DELIVERING THE MAIL! In the last three elections my husband and I (same address) tried to vote with the mail in system and one of us did not receive our ballot each election, a 50% failure rate. Two were returned to the board of elections "undeliverable as addressed", even though the address was perfect and this election I didn't receive my ballot until the day after the election. We, of course, voted in person when the mail-in system failed us, but many people would not do that. We deposited the ballots we did receive in the drop boxes because I have no faith that the post office would deliver them to the Board of Elections.
I have sat out a few elections because both candidates were unacceptable to me. But I live in Massachusetts where the winner is almost always pre-ordained. I'm curious, though: are blank ballots actually counted as votes anywhere? I would love a None of the Above option, and I believe a lot more people would vote if they could express their sense of not having a valid choice of candidates.
This "And how can those who voted for Johnson — whose imprimatur put him in office — then complain about him should his performance not match his rhetoric?" is interesting -- the usual stance is that a person who did not vote is not in a position to complain. For those of us who actually made the hard decision, this is called accountability.
Wouldn’t it have been good if there were a “third” party candidate on the ballot that you thought was 80-90% of what you liked but polls said had zero chance of winning? You could have voted for someone you like instead of getting hectored to vote for someone you don’t like.
Well, first that's a biblical reference - and who's to say who is good and who is bad. What about good things happen to those who wait? That's not fair or equitable. What if I have difficulty waiting.
Now I am 72, and butt-hurt seems to be a relative newcomer in our language. But until this column I had never heard that phrase uttered in reference to spanking or anal sex. I had never read it. I have been out as a gay man since 1974. I have heard a lot of slang about sex. Some of it is distasteful, as the NYT once described homosexuality in general., and vulgar when used in mixed company. But an example of a word not only used by the LGBTQ community, but championed by it, is one of the most hurtful things a straight person could use against a gay man. Queer. I still hear it like a slur, and it brings back such talk as "you dirty queer," which I have been called many times. I worked in the newspaper business 43 years, and some of that time was definitely not in the politically correct era. But I never heard anyone use queer or butt-hurt in the newsroom, though that probably was because the speaker was not in earshot. Not even the f word. The same publication, the Chicago Tribune, once ran a headline on a Page 1 column that read something to the effect of "Women convert from lesbianism to Catholicism."
@EZ if the mayoral race had been rank choice voting and permitted ranking of all candidates on the ballot, would you have excluded Vallas and Johnson from your ranking? If so, then what makes that easier then ranking them when it is just the two of them on the ballot?
I seems like it might be easier to rank them last and second to last than to pick one when there are only two on the ballot. Also there is more information about both candidates in the runoff election.
As people discuss various terms and how acceptable they are, I am much more concerned with the use of threats on social media and their relationship to the First Amendment.
There is a Supreme Court case called Counterman that will determine what are threats and thus not protected by the First Amendment and what is protected speech. While using “offensive terms” is a problem, a way bigger issue in my view are folks that threaten poll workers, judges, lawyers and politicians on various media. What is really wrong is when threats are aimed at the individual and their family. Also stalkers and their constant interference in a persons life.
We need to get a clear definition of what is protected speech and then go after the many trolls that routinely threaten people.
Regarding what is acceptable language: A number of years ago a well-educated colleague friend came back from visiting her small town in the Midwest and told me gleefully that she had "Jewed down" a farmer's market vendor. I pointed out that this was a very offensive, anti-Semitic slur, and it hurt me deeply (especially being Jewish) to hear it come out of her mouth. She was amazed, didn't realize she had even used the phrase, and had no idea about its history. She also apologized and said the phrase was always used as she grew up, and she had never even thought about it! Sometimes education is all we need to change historically anti-Semitic or racist language that has become embedded in our culture.
Now, I'm Butt-hurt. In explaining, Butt Hurt, you reference it at least 9 times. Like that University teacher- there should be consequences! First Rule of Butt Hurt Club is not Butt Hurting. Then you add comments of "Cop Out" which has a hidden meaning of "there's never a police person around when you need one." (For the record - going to polling place and cast blank ballot is still better than not voting at all. I'm look at 70+% of you Chicagoans.) You cast a vote (even Blank) you get to complain. Non-voters don't get to complain. Same category level - "I don't live in Chicago, but I would have voted for ____." There is no risk in which way you 'would' have voted, but you are thinking from the mindset of an outsider - not someone who directly is impacted by the mayoral choice.
Chicago Urbanist. So our most recent mayors prefer to live away from the city
There is something there that needs to be changed to Marshmallow Tweets.
Regarding the low voter turnout, it is shocking especially since the issues of crime and taxation seem to be so important to many. As of election night 90,000 mail in ballots had not been returned. These are people that took the time to apply for a mail in ballot. The mail-in ballot system is not working as it should because the POST OFFICE IS NOT DELIVERING THE MAIL! In the last three elections my husband and I (same address) tried to vote with the mail in system and one of us did not receive our ballot each election, a 50% failure rate. Two were returned to the board of elections "undeliverable as addressed", even though the address was perfect and this election I didn't receive my ballot until the day after the election. We, of course, voted in person when the mail-in system failed us, but many people would not do that. We deposited the ballots we did receive in the drop boxes because I have no faith that the post office would deliver them to the Board of Elections.
Sorry, I will continue to use the term 'batshit crazy' when applicable.
I have sat out a few elections because both candidates were unacceptable to me. But I live in Massachusetts where the winner is almost always pre-ordained. I'm curious, though: are blank ballots actually counted as votes anywhere? I would love a None of the Above option, and I believe a lot more people would vote if they could express their sense of not having a valid choice of candidates.
This "And how can those who voted for Johnson — whose imprimatur put him in office — then complain about him should his performance not match his rhetoric?" is interesting -- the usual stance is that a person who did not vote is not in a position to complain. For those of us who actually made the hard decision, this is called accountability.
Wouldn’t it have been good if there were a “third” party candidate on the ballot that you thought was 80-90% of what you liked but polls said had zero chance of winning? You could have voted for someone you like instead of getting hectored to vote for someone you don’t like.
Well, first that's a biblical reference - and who's to say who is good and who is bad. What about good things happen to those who wait? That's not fair or equitable. What if I have difficulty waiting.
Now I am 72, and butt-hurt seems to be a relative newcomer in our language. But until this column I had never heard that phrase uttered in reference to spanking or anal sex. I had never read it. I have been out as a gay man since 1974. I have heard a lot of slang about sex. Some of it is distasteful, as the NYT once described homosexuality in general., and vulgar when used in mixed company. But an example of a word not only used by the LGBTQ community, but championed by it, is one of the most hurtful things a straight person could use against a gay man. Queer. I still hear it like a slur, and it brings back such talk as "you dirty queer," which I have been called many times. I worked in the newspaper business 43 years, and some of that time was definitely not in the politically correct era. But I never heard anyone use queer or butt-hurt in the newsroom, though that probably was because the speaker was not in earshot. Not even the f word. The same publication, the Chicago Tribune, once ran a headline on a Page 1 column that read something to the effect of "Women convert from lesbianism to Catholicism."
But queer still stings like a hornet
@EZ if the mayoral race had been rank choice voting and permitted ranking of all candidates on the ballot, would you have excluded Vallas and Johnson from your ranking? If so, then what makes that easier then ranking them when it is just the two of them on the ballot?
I seems like it might be easier to rank them last and second to last than to pick one when there are only two on the ballot. Also there is more information about both candidates in the runoff election.
As people discuss various terms and how acceptable they are, I am much more concerned with the use of threats on social media and their relationship to the First Amendment.
There is a Supreme Court case called Counterman that will determine what are threats and thus not protected by the First Amendment and what is protected speech. While using “offensive terms” is a problem, a way bigger issue in my view are folks that threaten poll workers, judges, lawyers and politicians on various media. What is really wrong is when threats are aimed at the individual and their family. Also stalkers and their constant interference in a persons life.
We need to get a clear definition of what is protected speech and then go after the many trolls that routinely threaten people.