Now, these are very formative years, and on hindsight I believe the space free of massive trend influencing and peer pressure a secondary school enviornment is very beneficial to a 14 or 15 year old. Likewise, the rate of maturation during these years means being held in an institution trying to teach children from kindergarten up.
The scool at that time was quite overt in the classifications of students, and the seperation of the advanced from the delayed students via a numerical-alphabetical system 7A, 7B, 7C etc. The advanced students were in 7A and 8A, known as "Browners" - for the conception that these students were rear kissing suck ups, an undeserved elite as it were. Likewise, the 7O and 8O were known as "Oaskies" for no other reason than the letter O was the affix, designating them as slower learners.
This got me thinking about symantics (sic) and the connontations words envoke and how the origin, true meaning and place within the lexicon pales in comparison to the emotional baggage certain words carry with them.
From a distance, words like retarted are very PC. I cannot think of a more non-derisive, scientific word to mean otherly abled. The fact that the use of such a word will send so many into a recoil of horror tells us that it is not the word itself - but the power it conveys - but what is that power?
I believe it is the fact that such words used en masse, eventually begin to have a gravity all their own. The individual begins to lose individuality in the face of the collective. In doing so, the word used during a certain timeline begins to represent all the negativity absorbed through institutionalization leaves a bad taste in too many mouths.
So we invent a new word. Clean of the past's ignorance and intolerence to represent a new understanding I guess. Either way, I only assume that in a century or so these words too will be seen as distasteful, and a new generation will put their stamp on the same thing.
I think so anyway.
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