private opinion
I think trying to achieve purity of inner thought on any ethical subject is an inherently dangerous prospect. I was caught up in when I was a Christian and all it did was serve up a lot of distractions that had more to do with my own sense of self than the commission of any meaningful external justice. It makes me nervous to see other people going down the same route but it's not my place to tell them not to, since I can never be sure how much was really the inherent danger of chasing purism and how much was my own dangerously compulsive nature. *shrug* I dunno. Just something I felt like I had to get off my chest. At this point I don't try to lead people off the path they're on, because I really can no longer claim to know where the fuck any of us are going.
re: private opinion
Let me offer a metaphor, though. Germs can cause immense harm. Sanitation was one of the greatest achievements in human technology and improved lives measurably.
But the other side of the coin? You eliminate ALL challenges to your immune system and all you get for your trouble is allergies and asthma. Live in a perfectly sterile environment and you will suffer for it in the long run if that bubble is every burst.
I feel that "problematic" language is much the same. You wallow in it and never ponder the harm it *can* cause, people suffer. You try to eliminate everything that's even got a trace of an etymological relation to an injustice... people suffer.
People need outlets. People need gradual change or they backlash. Language benefits from paradox. Art benefits from being able to explore things that are painful and awkward. And it's virtually impossible to have a language that is based on both history *and* perfect social justice.
I am not trying to subtweet anyone here. There is a parallel conversation taking place on this topic, I have the greatest respect for the participants, and I don't reply directly simply because I don't actually *want* to challenge what they're doing. I trust people to find their own way, and my contrarian feelings about the subject really belong on my stalkjng ground, not theirs.
It's just a factor of progressive culture that's been bothering me for years and the words were actually coming today, so I decided to write them down. Thank you for listening.