Sexism In English Nilsen Analysis

America, the free? Throughout history American has always been coined as a place filled to the brim with diversity. As diversity grew as did the apparent need for political correctness. The first amendment in our constitution clearly states that we as American citizens have the freedom of speech. People tend to tiptoe on the line of being politically correct and putting their first amendment right to use. In the passages of Nilsen’s “Sexism in English” her strong ideas of female oppression throughout history go hand in hand with some of the same core beliefs that Fairman expressed in “Saying it is hurtful, banning it is worse.” Coupled with these ideas in mind the two had one common theme: words aren’t the culprit of negative connotations, the real power behind a word is the meaning.
“Sexism is not something existing independently in English it exists within people’s minds.” Feminism has taken the last few years by storm. Not only has the movement gained popularity throughout social media but more and more women are participating in marches and rallies. Be that as it may after concluding “Sexism in English” the piece really transformed my outlook on feminism.” Sexism is a very real issue in not only our country but globally as well. Nilsen spent the opening paragraphs reminiscing about her time spent in Afghanistan, and some of the details she shared …show more content…
Personally, the idea of banning the word “retard” is incredulous. While the connotation behind the word could use, some serious revision banning the word itself wouldn’t fix how society views the word. I believe that banning the use of “retard” would lead to mentally disabled individuals feeling ashamed of their condition(s). In this instance, I agree wholeheartedly with Fairman: Change the connotation not the word