Etymology

Today, a Facebook friend of mine posted this:
"So when you hear your friends say, 'That's lame/crazy/insane' you say......?
When your coworker refers to the air conditioning systemninside your workplace as having multiple personalities, you say......?"
and went on to say that this is ableism.

This friend is a sweet person who is also dedicated to justice, however, I think this is taking things a little far.

My parents are both Deaf and they don't like to be called "deaf and dumb", because today 'dumb' means 'stupid'. However, 'dumb' used to refer to a person who didn't speak; a mute. What the word used to mean doesn't mean shit to my dad; it's that the word is now associated with stupidity, and he doesn't wish to be associated with that.

Now people tell me that I can't use words that don't necessarily have a negative meaning in the present, but used to have a negative meaning, like 'handicapped'. The word 'handicap' comes from a time when the disabled would be forced to beg on the street with a cap in their hand; hand + cap = handicap. Now we just call those people the homeless, and the majority of them still suffer from debilitating disorders such as PTSD, schizophrenia, BPD, etc.

The thing is, lots of words have different connotations and/or have had various meanings throughout the years. The word 'cute' used to mean "bowlegged and ugly". It's all about context. Who the hell refers to a person with disabilities as "lame"? The only time the word "lame" is used to describe a physical state is to describe a horse. If a person is lame, then they suck; no one means they are crippled. The word "crazy" has positive or neutral connotations as well. I can say that I am crazy funny. Also, sometimes it's okay to call a crazy person crazy. A person who wants to blow up the world is crazy. If you don't think so, then you're crazy too.

"cute"

Now the part about multiple personalities is weird. That seems oddly specific. Who the hell describes inanimate objects as having multiple personalities? Probably someone with a mental health condition. "That air conditioning has multiple personalities, and the lamp called me an asshole."
I would never say something like that, beyond that it sounds weird, but because what if someone you work with has dissociative identity disorder? It sounds like your are using their specific disorder as an negative descriptor, like you are making fun of their condition. However, if someone does make this metaphor, then we have to forgive them, for they probably didn't mean to insult anyone with DID, since they probably don't knowingly know anyone with DID. Although, I have met some insensitive people who would not care if they did work with someone with DID, as they find it okay to make fun of their disorder. These are the type of people who think it's okay to make fun of people with intellectual disabilities. They're assholes, and there's no need to try to convince them of anything, because they either will come around on their own or they won't, but you aren't going to convince them. They feed off your energy. The more you try to tell them that they are wrong, the the more they will try to prove that they are right, for no one likes to be wrong.

"That lamp is an asshole!"

"he's right, I am an asshole."

I am all for being sensitive to other people's feelings, but just because one person might get offended by a word doesn't mean we shouldn't use it. The question is, is it really ableist to say "that's crazy?" Well, I don't consider people with mental illness crazy. I consider crazy people crazy, and while some crazy people have mental illness, not all people with mental illness are crazy. Also, what's wrong with being crazy? You got to be a little crazy to survive in this world.

"I still have a career. Who's crazy now!?"

In conclusion, crazy people don't like to be called crazy, and stupid people don't like to be called stupid, but some people are stupid and some people are crazy, and sometimes when we use the word 'crazy' we aren't referring to people with mental illness, so we aren't being ableist. This all reminds me of a Mitch Hedberg bit where he said that you shouldn't wave to people you don't know, because what if they don't have a hand. They'll think you're cocky. "Look what I got motherfucker. This shit is useful. I'm going to go hold something." I'm going to keep on waving...

Love & Justice for all!

-Jonathan David