Politicallly correct words are artificial and unnecessary

This post was originally published in the Wilson Times Jan. 4, 2020.

In a display touting Colonial Williamsburg’s three decades of inclusion of African-American characters among its costumed interpreters in the restored Colonial capital of Virginia, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation offered an explanation of appropriate semantics and politically correct words.

The display primarily concerned the word “slave” — a word no longer used by the interpreters playing the roles of historical characters. Instead of “slave,” Williamsburg characters use “enslaved” — a term preferred in much recent literature and news accounts.

“Slave,” the display on the wall of the Raleigh Tavern explained, is a noun that refers to only one aspect of a person. It would be wrong, therefore, to refer to a person as a slave, because that is just a part of what a person is. (I am paraphrasing here, as I did not copy or photograph the display). “Enslaved” is better because it is an adjective that describes one aspect of a person, allowing the whole person to be distinguished from the one unfortunate aspect. Therefore, “enslaved” is better than “slave,” a noun that should not be used in referring to people.

Other common words could be banned under this line of reasoning. A “prisoner” would become an “imprisoned person.” A “plaintiff” in a court case would become a “complaining person.”

This elimination of a perfectly good word for a sanitized new version is reminiscent of the shift from “colored people” (a polite, non-offensive reference from before and during the civil rights era) to “people of color,” an awkward term that means roughly the same thing and often refers to all non-Caucasians. We are all people of (some) color; we are all (somewhat) colored, so non-Caucasians might be a more accurate term, but because it’s a negative term (what you aren’t instead of what you are), it’s not a good choice.

Although I am a fan and supporter of Colonial Williamsburg, I found its defense of “enslaved” inadequate. You can’t use “slave” as an adjective? What about “slave rebellion,” “slave quarters,” or “slave labor”?

African-American characters walk the streets of Williamsburg in 18^th century dress, perform work in “trade” shops, display Colonial crafts and give a more accurate rendering of Williamsburg during its heyday. Some characters are feisty, complaining of their status in a civilization dominated by white men, or telling embarrassing stories about their masters. None are “Stepin Fetchit” types.

Colonial Williamsburg has done an admirable job of including African-American interpreters after having ignored the black population of 18^th century Virginia in the first decades after the restoration of Williamsburg in the first half of the last century (a time when state laws segregated the races).

Words have become political rallying cries in discussions of race, gender, religion and other matters. As political correctness took hold, we were discouraged from using terms such as “policeman” and “fireman,” and the presiding officer at a meeting can no longer be the “chairman.” Alternatives included “chairlady,” “chairwoman” or even “chair,” a word originally meaning a piece of furniture, not a presiding officer. Gender-neutral titles got so insidious that a sarcastic memo offered this warning: “Henceforth, mailmen shall be referred to as ‘person-persons.’”

As a long-time editor, I find most of the alternative titles and word usages are longer than the words being replaced. “Enslaved” is a longer word that “slave.” “Firefighter” is longer than “fireman.”

One exception to this trend is the use of “gay” instead of “homosexual.” The original “homosexual” is a descriptive term (same-sex), but “gay” had traditionally meant lighthearted and carefree. This modern use of “gay” has eliminated the common expression of 50 or 60 years ago of a “gay bachelor,” meaning an unmarried man who is frivolous and carefree.

Words matter, but words’ meanings can be a moving target. Be careful that a word’s meaning still applies.

History is anything but "boring"

This post was published in the Wilson Times Oct. 19, 2019.

I recently received a letter that began, “Dear Fellow Student of History.” With a salutation like that, you know you are getting a fundraising appeal. The letter from Jim Lighthizer of the American Battlefield Trust, was, indeed, a fund-raising appeal. Like other such letters I’ve received over the past three decades, this letter was alarming and effective.

The American Battlefield Trust, formerly the Civil War Trust, is a nonprofit devoted to preserving and restoring American battlefields. Originally, the organization focused solely on Civil War battlefields but has expanded to include Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields. Walking around on the “hallowed ground” of battlefields is one of my favorite things to do on vacation. Just four years ago, I made my third visit to Gettysburg and hiked all around the boulders and fields where more than 51,000 Americans were killed, wounded or missing in a three-day battle in 1863.

Lighthizer’s organization has preserved many acres of battlefield land at Gettysburg, Richmond, Chancellorsville, Harper’s Ferry, Bentonville and dozens of other places. The Battlefield Trust has been very successful in saving “hallowed ground” from commercial and residential developers and other threats.

What worries Lighthizer is the lack of interest, especially among younger generations, in the history he and other supporters are preserving. He calls it “a crisis in history education” and writes, “The numbers are terrifying.” Here’s a brief listing of scary facts:

1.    Over a recent 20-year period, no more than 17 percent of U.S. eighth graders scored “proficient” or better in history in national tests. That leaves 83 percent who are less than proficient in history, and they will be able to vote!

2.    A 2015 survey found that one-third of new college graduates could not place the Civil War (the most significant American event since the founding of the Republic) in its correct 20-year time frame.

3.    A survey of America’s top 75 colleges found that a third of them did not require an American history course to earn a degree in history!

4.    A survey by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation found that only 40 percent of Americans could pass the U.S. Citizenship Test given to immigrants seeking to become citizens.

These statistics reinforce other findings that Americans are ignorant of their nation’s history. Many young students say they find history “boring.” These are probably students taught that history consists of a bunch of dates and obscure people who are all dead anyway. That’s not the way to teach history.

To teach the Civil War, take students to Gettysburg. Have them stand at the stepping off point of Pickett’s Charge, and point out the ridge three-quarters of a mile away, and tell them they must walk briskly uphill toward that ridge while 10,000 well dug-in soldiers supported by cannon delivered a hailstorm of bullets and cannonballs at them. There’s nothing boring about being shot at. Use that incident to open the door to the whole history of the Civil War.

Meanwhile, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which has been “selling” history for 80 years as a 301-acre living history museum (and the colonial capital of Virginia), is alarmed that freedom, liberty and democracy seem to be declining worldwide. Williamsburg CEO Mitchell Reiss used his column in the Foundation’s quarterly magazine to warn that liberty is in decline and authoritarianism is on the rise around the world.

In Williamsburg, visitors can walk the streets and visit the homes and government buildings the founders of American democracy inhabitated. This “living history” also is not boring. It is the closest thing we have to a time machine that transports us to the age of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and others.

Nevertheless, Colonial Williamsburg has struggled with changing tastes of American vacationers. Many parents want their children to have fun on vacation, not learn how their nation began. CWF has changed its programming to include more child-friendly activities and more African-Americans of the 18^th century, both enslaved and free.

Both the Battlefield Trust and Colonial Williamsburg offer on-site seminars for teachers, showing them how to turn “boring” into excitement and equipping young Americans to understand their rich history and to appreciate the courageous acts that give them their liberty.

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What amendment would you add to Constitution?

This post was first published in the Wilson Times July 20.

In the fall issue of Trend and Tradition magazine, Mitchell Reiss, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s president and CEO, challenged readers to suggest changes to the U.S. Constitution — amendments to repeal or alter or new amendments to add. The summer issue of the Colonial Williamsburg magazine published several of the suggestions and put other submissions online at https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/learn/trend-and-tradition-magazine/trend-and-tradition-summer-2019/constitution-comments.

I took the invitation as a challenge and suggested that a new amendment make it clear that corporations are not “people” and should not be accorded rights intended for individuals. A couple of other respondents offered the same suggestion, citing court cases to back up their contention. One 1886 Supreme Court case determined the Union Pacific Railroad to be entitled to the same rights as a person. More recent campaign finance cases have affirmed corporations’ right to constitutional rights.

As you might guess, several people wanted to get rid of the Electoral College; others wanted to mandate a balanced federal budget. Revisions to the Second Amendment to clarify what is meant by a “well-regulated militia” and “right to keep and bear arms” also were suggested. Some respondents wanted an amendment to address gerrymandering of voting districts.

About a fourth of the respondents wanted term limits for federal offices, including Congress and the Supreme Court. One response suggested an age limit rather than a term limit for some offices.

A few wanted to repeal the 26^th Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. The 1971 amendment passed in part because men were being drafted into military service at age 18 but could not vote. A rallying cry held that if you’re old enough to die for your country you should be able to vote in its elections. That amendment has not had a great impact on elections because young people have not been frequent voters. On sober reflection, many people see the younger generation as not interested in serious issues and not mature enough to shape policy. One writer suggested a voting age of 25 or 30, except all military personnel would be eligible to vote.

One proposal I had not expected to see was repeal of the 17^th Amendment, which in 1913 moved the election of senators from state legislatures to the ballot box, choosing senators by popular vote. Only those with an interest in history know that senators were elected by state legislatures for the Constitution’s first 122 years until populists prevailed upon Congress and the states to make election to the Senate the same process as election to the House. The Constitution originally made the Senate representative of the states, which were considered sovereign, while the House represented individuals. The 17^th Amendment upset that balance and made the states nearly superfluous in Congress. Repealing the 17th Amendment, advocates say, would make states relevant again.

My suggestion about distinguishing individuals from corporations is just as arcane as the 17^th Amendment. I selected the corporation issue because it seemed to be the only way to limit big money influence in elections without impinging on individuals’ freedom of speech, press and assembly. Courts have declared that money is a form of speech, so spending cannot be proscribed by legislation. But corporate money can overwhelm individual donations and elect candidates beholden only to big business. The “due process” and “equal protection” clauses of the 14^th Amendment, which were intended to ensure the rights of former slaves, should never have been extended to corporations by judicial decree. A new amendment is needed to correct this and to avoid more “Citizens United” decisions that allow corporations to claim rights intended for individual citizens.

The proposals submitted to Colonial Williamsburg were varied and thoughtful. These included such ideas as electing the Supreme Court or appointing the justices for only 10-year terms. Immigration caught several peoples’ attention. One wanted a revision to eliminate the “anchor baby” concept of making anyone born here a citizen immediately, leading to preferred immigrant status for family members. One suggestion: Make persons born here citizens only after one parent becomes a U.S. citizen.

These ideas are intriguing, but I remain skeptical about passage of any amendments, which require a two-thirds vote in Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states. Amendments — fundamental changes to our founding document — should be rare.

Don't let rain dampen the weekend

When I was in college, I had an LP called "Stormy Weekend" by the Mystic Moods Orchestra. I still have the album, although I haven't played it in years and probably would have to do some repair to my old Gerard turntable if I did want to play it. The album consisted of the sounds of rain and thunder played against a background of orchestral music. The album could put you in a mood for snuggling under a warm quilt.

I thought about that album today as I drove down Interstate 95, headed home from a weekend getaway. The rain had fallen incessantly most of the weekend, but it didn't dampen our mood. My wife and I were cashing in a Christmas gift from our children: A gift card good for one weekend at a destination of our choice (within reason and driving distance). We chose Williamsburg, Va., where we have spent more than a dozen weekends and of which we never tire.

A special discount rate this month made our gift even more valuable, so we made reservations and hopefully watched the weather. Despite the forecast for incessant rain, we headed off and hoped for the best. The rain dampened some of our activities, but we found plenty to do indoors. We've been to Williamsburg so many times that you would think there could be nothing new, but each trip delights us with some new tidbit or insight. Interpreters at the George Wythe House and the Capitol this time were especially good and delightful. We spent additional time in the museums. The food and the atmosphere at the Colonial Williamsburg tavern always make the trip worthwhile, regardless of the weather.

My wife fondly remembers the trip she took with her parents and siblings to Williamsburg while she was still in high school. It rained, she says, every minute they were there. Nevertheless, they had a glorious time soaking up the atmosphere of Colonial America. This weekend was just as wet, and just as enjoyable.