Kerby Anderson

Most of the debates we have in society are a war of words. It’s not surprising that liberals and progressives have redefined words and phrases to promote their agenda. Abortion is called choice. Homosexual marriage was recast as marriage equality. The list of redefined words and phrases has become quite long.

But the latest phenomenon has been to ban certain words and phrases. David Harsanyi mentioned an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer that describes four racists words that must be banned from our vocabulary. One of those is the phrase “peanut gallery.” No doubt you have heard someone say they don’t need any comments from the peanut gallery. The article tries to make this racist by linking this to a time when poor Americans and black Americans might have been relegated to the back sections of a theater. Most people would see this as a real stretch.

Another word we cannot use is “master” as in the master bedroom of a house. And we are told we need to change the name of the famous golf tournament known as “The Masters.” Since I have two Masters’ degrees, I wonder what I am supposed to call those degrees from Yale and Georgetown now. By the way, if there is any name that should be changed, it is Yale University, which is named for Elihu Yale, who was not only a slave owner but a slave trader.

I would hope that rational people can see the absurdity of banning the word masters. When I think of the Masters Golf Tournament, I think of Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus. On more than one occasion, I have told a speaker or a musician that his or her presentation was “masterful.” A painting or a musical score is often called a masterpiece.

When liberals redefine words and ban other words, it makes it more and more difficult to have a rational discussion. Maybe that’s the purpose after all.