by Wendy Callahan, Corvallis
Thank you, Mary! Your letter to the editor was a welcome tutelage of the acronyms BIPOC and LGBTQIA+. Further, it gave enlightenment on the importance of staying informed of even such a small matter as knowing what new expressions, words, and acronyms mean. Thank you also for the reminders from history of the typical narrow-mindedness of cultures through time.
Awareness defeats ignorance. Remember when it was a devastating embarrassment as a child to have to wear braces for the teeth or dread being called “four-eyes” because you had to wear glasses? Those are status symbols now. Remember when parents were encouraged to put their children in institutions if they had Down Syndrome or other anomalies? Now parents are applauded for their diligence in giving their special needs children the best opportunities for development possible by nurturing them with love and therapies. Open-mindedness finally trumped those old stereotypes and positive progress has since been made.
My son was dropped off at an orphanage as an infant in China. They didn’t realize he had Spina Bifida. They just saw his dysfunctional body, placed him in the orphanage basement, and expected him to cease to exist before becoming a burden on society. His biological parents had to sneak him onto the orphanage doorstep in the middle of the night because it was illegal to place kids in orphanages. The only alternative they had was to find another way to dispose of him. Americans aren’t the only ones with insensitive, shortsighted beliefs and traditions.
Sticking to ‘good old English’ refers to whatever vocabulary you gained in your youth. So, as you said, no matter who we speak with, it is beneficial to have the broadest understanding of all the English words and acronyms we can. As we have all become quite good at recognizing and adapting to ever-progressive technology, let’s apply some of that adaptability to our vocabulary. You might even discover some new FUN words such as Ebike, upcycle, and Oula!