Posted by
Bob Siegel on Saturday, August 29, 2009 1:05:45 AM
For Part One of this blog, see:
Words and Phrases That Should Be Permanently Retired: Part One
In my last blog, we retired the phrase, "I find this offensive," and the word "tolerance."
3) Hate
The slightest tone of concern, the sheer hint of warning, or the mere audacity to disagree with anything Politically Correct, gets quickly labeled as, "hate." Not long ago, somebody wrote me and claimed that I had too much hate in my blog because I was so critical of Obama. Of course, this same person had been sending me conspiracy theories about George Bush for over a year before then.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves and should back up for a moment. Hate is not necessarily a bad word. Some things in life are worth hating. I hate evil, for instance, and I hate evil without apology. The problem here (similar to the misuse of the word "tolerance") is that we have disagreements about who is evil or what is evil.
Admittedly, a more negative understanding of the word hate is the more prevalent one today, namely an extreme, bitter emotion that often wants to see harm done to others, even innocents.
Unfortunately, today's culture has ripped all the power off of this word. Twenty years ago, could you have imagined the day would come when those who believe marriage should be between a man and a woman would be viewed as hateful or that those who want to protect the life of an unborn baby would be known as vile meanies?
No, we have not been good stewards of this word and therefore, it should be retired.
For More:
Words And Phrases That Should Be Peranently Retired: Part Three
The Bob Siegel Show can be heard every Sunday at
3:00 PM and Saturdays at 11:00 PM (Pacific Time) on KCBQ 1170 on the
dial or KCBQ.com to listen live over the internet.