Reaction to "The Word Police" 3/5/2017

  In "The Word Police" Michiko Kakutani analyzes the way politically correctness has changed language. Despite the fact that the article is from 1993, it is surprisingly relevant still. It addresses words that may be considered offensive based on race and gender. Throughout the article Katunani makes fun of Rosalie Maggio's " Bias-Free Word Finder". In her dictionary Maggio chastises the use of "male-oriented words" like "fellow" and encourages gender-free terms, like "waitron". Even though Maggio's intentions were pure, Katunani was correct when she said that making words prettier won't fix the problems they describe. This article made many valid points about how political correctness would rid the world of individualism, and freedom of speech but it also raised various questions about offensive terms. For example, who might need to follow Maggio's guidelines? And can once offensive words be reclaimed?

Reaction to "Politics and the English Language" 2/5/2017

In this piece George Orwell analyzes how the English language is deteriorating. Orwell accused politicians of dodging the truth and filling the public's ears with jargon. He claimed that the incorrect language they use lead to words having abstract definitions and the collapse of the English language. Despite the fact that he blamed politics for this deterioration, the changes in culture are responsible as well. With the internet and technology, the development of slang and hashtags encourage people to use words in the wrong context creating more and more useless words. Even though, Orwell believes that English can be saved, I feel as though it won't be if the majority doesn't see a problem there will  be no way to fix it. I also believe as time passes, words and their meanings often change.

Reaction to "Affirmative Action: The Problem or Solution?"

      The documentary clearly defined affirmative action; an attempt to allow minorities to have access to jobs and education that they were originally denied. Gary Anthony Ramsey in addition he  presented sufficient arguments for and against it. Ramsey addressed that affirmative action affected not only race but gender. Some of the arguments against affirmative action were interesting, for example saying that it was no longer needed, or giving people positions they are unqualified for and arguments similar to Fisher's that it is actually racism.  There were also interesting arguments that supported affirmative action, that minorities still suffer, and that diversity is necessary and beneficial. I believe that if there was equality no matter the gender or the race of a person there would be no need for affirmative action.