Warning - Indelicate Words

This morning the NY Times had an article about the possible banning of the word "bitch". If you hadn't heard, the NY city council has already banned the n-word earlier this year. I really wasn't paying attention that first time because I do find the n-word to be horrible. I wouldn't have banned it though. I know that some people claim that the stigma has been stripped from the n-word. Personally however, I'm not a fan and I think we all know that if I - a little Southern middle-class white girl - used that word, no one would be brushing off anything except for my blood from their clothes. And I like my nose unbroken, thank you. But "bitch"? Come on. The city council member who proposed this ban said that it is a "paradigm of shame and indignity for all women".

Let's pause for a minute and consider that.

Okay. Now all you women out there, raise your hands if you think "bitch" is "a paradigm blah blah blah". Hmm, I'm not seeing a lot of response. Now, raise your hands if you don't want this city council woman speaking for you just because you happen to both have a uterus.

Ah. I'm seeing a lot more response there.

I understand that people are sensitive to words. But whereas the n-word has historical degradation woven through it, "bitch" started out as a term for female dogs. Does anybody with a modicum of education not realize that? That when you call someone a "bitch", you're calling them a female dog? No, it's not the nicest thing to say. The column has quotes from people saying that the ban would prevent them from calling half their friends. And that is just weird. I think they need to turn up the class a bit with their friends. But what is the council going to do? Ban the words "female dog" next? It's a slippery slope is all I'm saying.


I'm all for feminism. Yay for equality and all that. But there's a division of feminists these days: The group that wants to protect women from all discrimination, whether or not that discrimination is real or even a reasonable expenditure of time, and the group that thinks the first group is nutters. I guess I'm part of that second group, which spends its time on true subjugation of women. I'm a bit more concerned when a 10 year old girl is being ritually circumcised or when a woman is getting beaten for the sake of not covering her ankles or when a pregnant woman is fired for taking up too much of the company's medical resources. "Bitch" is hardly on my radar.