What Do Ya Call 'Em?

There has been a lot in the news lately about someone using "the N Word." Over the last two centuries the terms for that racial group have changed many times as a generally accepted term became considered offensive. Often the term in use was considered insulting because of the attitude of the people who used it.

Now "African American" is generally accepted, but I've known dark skinned people from India or Europe who found that term offensive since they either had no African ancestry or didn't live in America.

The same thing has happened with terms for people who have special needs. "Crippled" or "Disabled" got to be considered insulting, Then "Handicapped" was no longer thought to be polite and various other terms like "Differently Abled," and "Special Needs" were used.

Similar things have happened with words used for various other groups.

The reason those terms keep changing is because people consider belonging to a certain race or having physical or mental limitations something to be ashamed of.

Those people are wrong.

I hope someday we'll agree that all people are created equal and stop needing to change our vocabulary because of prejudices.