I have noticed in a few comments scattered here and there a distaste for certain ?language? in the MS community - a hesitation, if you will, to accept the common vernacular for the causes and effects of this thing we live with. I'm writing today not to apologize for the use of these words, but rather to explore why it may be that we are sensitive to them or sensitized by them.
I can understand why words like cripple or crippled would cut to the core of someone living with MS. I also see, however, that some of us refer to those ?mountain climbing? with MS as the ?Super Crips.? I'll admit I laughed kind of hard at that comment when it came through.
Some have even balked at living with the moniker, ?disabled.? Not sure if that is a defense technique that people employ or just taking political correctness to the far edge. My editor even mentioned to me that some of you don't particularly like your MS deemed a ?disease? but rather call it a ?condition.?
I'm sorry if it ruffles a few feathers, but I could really give a damn about that part of the conversation. On most days I'm a pragmatist, and I guess I don't have time to think about it too much.
Now I know what you're thinking'I'm the one who laid down the rule about being respectful. I would not use the most offensive of the debilitated lexicon, but I'm not going to tiptoe around on eggshells to make sure we offend no one, either. I live with MS too!
Someone even approached me over the weekend and said that she didn't like the term, ?live with MS.? It made her, ?Feel like that's all I do, live with this thing.? I assuredly never meant that phrase to mean anything but ?getting on with a life with MS in it.?
Goes to show that no matter what your intention, someone is going to have another use for the semantics to make them feel better. I'm okay with that. Just don't expect it from me.
How do you feel about the language of multiple sclerosis? What about the language around MS? I remember a comment where someone told of their MS and got the reaction, ?Oh, how terrible!? Or the girl told by her mother that she was just being, ?lazy.? Let's head into the weekend with a thought or two from you about MS verbiage.
Wishing you and your family the best of health.
To Be Politically Correct
Doesn't it seem that everything in the world revolves around being politically correct? From religious views to moral values, some people teach others to bite their tongues when it comes to their convictions and beliefs. People want Christians to remove ?Christ? from Christmas, and replace it with Happy Holidays because it is more inclusive to other religious doctrines.
People tell Christians not to criticize homosexuality because it might be offensive to someone who chooses to practice that lifestyle. It is even at the point where some Christian ministers refuse to talk about such hot-button issues as abortion to avoid conflict with some parishioners. Many people in today's society simply view religion as a platform to make them feel better about their lives, and then return to their daily routines with no regard to God's will or their own sinful nature.
There was once a time in American culture when morals were more important than a person's sensitivity. There was a time when people viewed the Holy Bible as law, and a guideline to how one should live their life. If God's word commanded that, ?Thou shall not kill,? people understood that no child of God should take the life of another human being under any circumstance.
However, in modern times, many so-called Christians believe that it is acceptable to disregard passages in the Bible that contradict the way they choose to live their life. If a minister makes them uncomfortable with God's message, they will simply move to another church where the minister avoids controversial topics and concentrates on more ?unifying? subjects. They are apparently unaware that feeling uncomfortable with the word of God is the first step towards changing for the better and living life for Christ.
To many of the elders in our society, the morals of young Americans are non-existent. In their era, school shootings and gang wars were nonexistent. Moral dilemmas such as premarital sex, single-parent households, and same sex marriage were totally taboo, if even thought about.
People in past generations studied God's word thoroughly, and were not ashamed to call it the blueprint of their life. If God's word said you were to wait until marriage before engaging in sexual intercourse, then you waited until He blessed you with your significant other.
If the Bible stated that, ?every man should have a wife, and every woman should have a husband,? that was understood to be the definition of marriage. The problems that exist today because of sexual immorality, such as pestilence and unwanted children would not be an issue.
However, because of everyone's desire to be politically correct, the thin line between right and wrong is blurred.
Moreover, because of people's unwillingness to correct each other's mistakes, this society is raising a generation that is very apathetic to God's word and His purpose for the human race. They are unaware that marriage is to reproduce and repopulate the Earth, and therefore same sex marriage will never be acceptable in the eyes of God. Because of immorality, people are unaware that God's word does not change, despite the fact that what society considers culturally acceptable is constantly changing.
We take prayer out of public schools and wonder why guns and violence has taken its place. Non-believers, such as California atheist Michael Newdow, are constantly challenging the mere mention of God and/or any religious doctrine.
Although the government has avoided offending its diverse citizens, the definition of morality is absent from the vocabulary of many of today's youth. It is as if society puts more emphasis on being politically correct, as opposed to just being correct. We question God when natural disasters strike, but never allow people to question the way we live our life, and therefore never see reason for improvement.
During the holiday season, the debate over ?Christ? in Christmas always takes center stage. Various companies and retailers usually choose more inclusive terms such as Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings as opposed to the more specific Merry Christmas.
Regardless of one's religious beliefs, God sent Christ to Earth to show a fallen world how our Heavenly Father wants us to live our lives. The commandments he demanded us to follow would definitely cure the world of the ills that tear at the fabric of our very existence. The way Jesus Christ lived his life is a true example of the correct way one should live their life, even if it is not politically correct in the eyes of critics and non-believers.
Both Trevis Gleason & Todd A. Smith are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Trevis Gleason has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stem Cell, Health and Political and Social. Trevis GleasonTrevis' Blog can be found at For more information, articles and prog. Trevis Gleason's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.
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