The name game played by folks in all walks of life – from scientists to politicians to activists to reactionary and wrong-headed activists, all can be disconcerting.
Being politically correct and accurate is a noble goal, but for those folks with more than a touch of reality, a DNA steeped in logic, and a strong degree of common sense, some ‘brands” just don’t ring true. “Global warming”, for example, has been a personal bugaboo for two decades or more.
The term is factually correct, but it’s hard to believe, much less swallow, when the wind chill in the a particular region is a rousin’-rompin’ 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The fact is both poles are warming up, creating a rise in the temperature of the oceans, which, in turn, creates massive weather disturbances, i.e., droughts, monsoons, bigger, and unseasonal, hurricanes, an increase in conditions conducive to wildfire blowups, cyclone blizzards…you know, like, what was evident in 2023.
An acceptable term, and one most folks would understand, would be simply “climate change”. While that term has been used, it hasn’t been “sold” in a consistent conscious-of-mind way; it has been mostly used as throwaway line…”The so-called ‘climate change’ is changing all over the planet.” The science disbelievers will simply parrot “Climate is always changing” like that denies scientific fact.
Another term that is not globally accepted is “Black Lives Matter”, or “Blue Lives Matter”. Of course, black and ‘blue’ lives matter; it’s hard to argue with that premise; it does, however, exclude about 80 percent of the world’s population. The term which fits this, and every other situation is “All Lives Matter”. But when trying to sell a single idea or image, expanding the image which won’t suit a particular narrative, never seems to be an option.
IN 2024, let’s tackle an issue a bit thornier: Sexual preference and personal identifiable brands.
Many older Americans remember when using the word “queer” would start a fight. Now, it’s part of the abbreviation of those who define sexual preferences on an extremely personal, and complicated, level.
What was once written as “lesbian and gay” has now been expanded to (not kidding, here) to LGBTQIA+. In an attempt to be all-inclusive, the abbreviation has become a symbol of ridicule and scorn. For the record (and admitting I had to look up the new alphabet additions), it is lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transsexual, queer, intersex and asexual. I assume the plus sign means “stay tuned, more initials coming”. I am waiting all a-twitter to see if the next set of initials include BUD (blow-up doll), or M (mannequin).
Take a breath! The point is activists are killing specific core messages by trying to be all-inclusive, when they should be thinking about ways to include “outsiders” into the core message. Instead of seven letters with a promise of more, why not adopt the age-old motto of “more is less”.
Change out LGBTQIA+ for PLP (“People Loving People”) or ELE (“Everybody Loving Everybody”).
Hard to argue with that common sense logic.
2024? More of the same, only worse
Next year is an election year; nothing is expected to get better; “slightly worse” is the best we can hope for.
When is it going to be okay to laugh again?
Granted, there’s not much in the news and in our daily lives to bring forth a giggle, much lese a guffaw. If you thought the last several years were tough, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
The country is still divided along ideological, political, religious, and cultural lines. With a divided Congress, it’s hard to surmise anything useful being done in the next year; the House will keep trying to impeach President Biden in a tit-for-tat move over former president Trumps’ two impeachments; stalemates will one-up any meaningful legislation as both parties try and put political muscle and prowess on display.
Next year is an election and the campaign fireworks have already started.
Americans of the social media ilk think they are offering up a good dose of laughter with GIFs, memes and Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and podcast rants making fun of folks of a different political or ideological bent (I, too, plead guilty).
You know the country is in the doldrums when the funniest thing on television was the family dinner scene in “Yellowstone”. (If you missed it originally, or in streaming reruns…Google or YouTube it. The one-line zingers and ensuing fist fight between Beth Dutton and Summer Higgins was funnier than any “Seinfeld” or “Big Bang Theory” episode.)
Make a New Year’s resolution to find something (not somebody) to laugh at very single day. It can’t hurt…and certainly might help our collective dispositions.
At the very least, maybe, just maybe, it will prepare us for the campaign slapstick farces coming our way.
2024. It’s here!
To quote one of America’s greatest presidents, Theodore Roosevelt: “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
Repeating the recent past is not a viable option for a strong, future United States. So, in 2024, let’s all make a conscious effort to change our mindset and start thinking in terms of what is good for the world in general, the United States in particular, and you and your family specifically.
George Smith views the world from the back porch Bedspring Ridge, a dogtrot house he built in Sutton, Arkansas on old family land on a spot where his great-grandfather’s house once stood. There he lives and opines with his wife BobbieJean and a rescue dog, “Li’l Dawg.” A former newspaper reporter, editor and publisher, he has a master’s degree in business, is a retired director for a global technology company, has been a business owner, student of government and the behavior of politicians. He has been a college instructor, national motivational speaker, community development and festival development consultant and is a published author.