Ask any of my characters.
I've seen the latest craze: Ban Bossy.
Really?
This is where you're spending your money, time, and energy?
Children are starving the world over. Human trafficking has surpassed drugs and gun running in terms of what is the most profitable for criminals.
Wars and disease and man's inhumanity to man...
So many worthy causes worth fighting for and dying for. So many causes in need of money and support.
All the problems in the world and banning the word BOSSY is deemed important.
Someone needs their priorities checked.
If we're going to ban a word, I can think of a whole list of others more cruel and damaging and yet used without thought.
Ugly
Meany
Crybaby
Fatty
How about this for a campaign:
Honor. Courage. Integrity. Every Day of My Life.
Too much personal responsibility required? Is it too difficult to remember? It's too long for a hashtag?
I'll make it shorter:
Honor
People who believe they have the right to dictate the meaning and usage of words are petty tyrants.
I'm the first to agree that words can be used more effectively than any sword.
It ISN'T the word!
It is the INTENT behind the word. It is the meaning in the user's mind.
Banning a word is an attempt to control how other people think.
News Flash: Abusers demand to control how others think. Abusers demand to control language.
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Hi Judy, I get what you are saying here, but may I offer a different perspective.
ReplyDeleteMy parents used bossy often. It was one of their favorite words to call me. And it was always a character assassination on their part.
Often they used bossy in inappropriate ways. I was "bossy" when I was organizing games with the neighborhood kids. I wasn't being bossy, I was "leading", in my opinion. Whenever I spoke up, spoke my opinions, tried to find ways to express myself, I was being bossy. It was a word that kept me in a quiet little cage locked away. For me, being "bossy" was the equivalent of being called ugly, mean, fatty, or crybaby. It was a negative criticism of my character.
I do think that bossy has a time and a place. And I don't know about "banning" it completely. But I do think, too many times, little girls who are leaders, and organizers, are called "bossy" and it is a misuse of the word.
No argument to what you've said, Jessie. I agree that bossy is often used in a derogatory manner.
DeleteMy rant is about the insanity of the Ban Bossy campaign. Celebrities are lending their name power, money, and time to ban a word. If they're going to ban Bossy, then they also need to ban the other words I mentioned to start. There's a whole list of words they need to ban. Where does it stop?
The Ban Bossy campaign has created a false narrative. I've also heard boys called bossy in a derogatory manner. This is not a problem unique to women.
The core of Ban Bossy is a hot button. The core is a lie. The campaign is creating victims of anyone called bossy, provided it's a woman. The core of the campaign is to control how people think. Two of the women involved in the campaign sing songs that are far more derogatory than simply being called bossy. The hypocrisy is disgusting. They want to tell everyone else what to say, as long as no one stops them from saying what they want to say, no matter how degrading it is. It's "do as I say, not as I do." Every abuser uses this manipulative tool.
I hadn't actually seen the "Ban Bossy" campaign. So, maybe I misspoke. I have been seeing a lot of parents posting things on FB about stopping calling girls bossy and maybe seeing it more as "leadership skills".
DeleteBut I definitely see your point. (And personally, I don't like anyone who tells me to use one word and not another.) Because sometimes "bossy" is a completely appropriate adjective to use.
I'll have to check out more about this campaign. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Yes, what you're seeing on FB is regarding the campaign. I'm all for encouraging leadership skills, but unfortunately that isn't the emphasis. You're most welcome.
Delete