Two American albatross: Lexicon and abbreviations (Update)
*Lexicon: A stock of terms used in a particular profession, subject, or style; a vocabulary: the lexicon of surrealist art.3. Linguistics The morphemes of a language considered as a group.
One of the hardest things I do as a political junkie is to get family and friends on board. With me, being a political junkie can be annoying to close friends and relatives and even to co-workers but then, as the man said, “I am what I am!”
Lexicon. I was talking to Nephew the other day splainin’ some of the problems we are having with Universal Health Care. And knowing the issue would be in the news a lot, my objective was to give him some workable knowledge including the all important code words, “Single payer”. After our conversation and feeling good about my bringing Nephew on board, I noticed words other than “Single payer” being banter around to describe the information regarding Universal Health Care.
Some feelings of defeat began to set in with my
reminiscing all the time I spent explaining to Nephew how the words “Single payer” were being used. Now it appears every pundit and commentator wants to use his/her words instead of the words, “Single payer!” We get “One Payer”, “Medicare” and a host of other words including “Socialist” and “Marxist”. Everyone wants you to use their words in describing efforts to break the stranglehold big pharmaceutical companies have on our health system.
There are times even I become frustrated at the lack of uniformity in delivering news to the general public; the non-political ones, if you will. With all the manipulating of the language and gross interpretations, one may get the impression the non-political junkie thinks more is going on with the issue than he knows with evermore complexity. Not so! But trying to hold Nephew still to further explain what is happening maybe dangerous to my health. I am the political junkie and Nephew is not, so how is he to get a basic grip on such a practice unless someone takes the time to tell him? It is frustrating to me and I can only imagine how such endeavors would keep Nephew in his comfort zone; not trying to venture out to understand some of this shit going on in the political arena.
Incidentally, Nephew is fifty two years old and who periodically reminds me of his non-political comfort zone. (Smile) After all, he did ever so politely sit through my “ranting” the first time and I do not want to push my luck. There are consequences! So I blog with energetic and baseless optimism!
Abbreviations. As a second issues, I have no way to explain to Nephew or anyone the many abbreviations thrown around these day by people considering themselves using language of the experts as if we were all in the board rooms wherein abbreviations on the subject are appropriate and perhaps encouraged. To expose that language to the general public is, in my opinion, simply bad manners. It does not impress me at all. The word “rude” comes to mind.
In all honesty, I confess to begin reading an article with abbreviations in its title hoping the writer would have the courtesy to tell me in the opening sentences of the first paragraph what the hell the abbreviations stand for. Nine times out of ten, it is not done. The author seems to be saying, “I’m smart and you’re not! You should know what those abbreviations stand for. Tut-tut. Shame on poor lit’le un-informed you!”
There have been many an article I have abandoned due to the fact I could not understand what all the beautiful writing was about due to the fact I could not start off reading the article with a clear understanding what the abbreviations stood for. Due to the subject matter there would be times I would struggle with the article, but most of the time I would end up abandoning it.
Back to lexicon. Finally, as a political junkie, I find myself up against a stone wall after investing much time watching congress discussing a bill up to voting time. While the congress is voting and C-Span is showing you a chart as to how the Republicans and Democrats are voting, the language put up on the screen in efforts to tell you what is going on is the weirdest sentence structures I have ever seen in my life. I would imagine it is “Tee-hee” times for the person responsible for the supposed enlightenment but it is truly “KMA!” time for me. I leave the program in compete disgust with justifiable feelings of having wasted my time. Lexicon is not for public consumption. In my opinion it is not appropriate. It is rude, elitist and does not say nice things about the perpetrator.
With each new law and controversy coming out of the administration, there is new lexicon. How it is handled has a direct relationship as to how many people fully know what is going on and understand the issue. There is a time and place for using “Lexicon: A stock of terms used in a particular profession”. I would support a war on inappropriate lexicon and I pray I am using the word in the correct content.
Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-Span and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB
P.S. I often wonder what happened to the astute reporter Michael Ware. I have not hear much of him since his “locking horns” with Sen. McCain. He really can explain issues well.
* http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lexicon
(Update) I am ever mindful of two things; my belief in “Universal Thought” and there is always someone who can do it better than you. Always!
Let the torture light shine: Don’t lose the debate before it starts!
by p gorden lippy
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/5/17/732550/-Let-the-torture-light-shine:-Dont-lose-the-debate-before-it-starts!
Excerpt:
Water torture has now become "waterboarding." Ooh, let’s go surfing!
Slamming people into walls, stripping them naked, humiliating them, and threatening them with dogs and sodomy have become "enhanced interrogation techniques."
posted by BB at 4:56 AM
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