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[quote=Anonymous][b]Did you lefties get the memo?[/b]   :mrgreen:   :mrgreen:

https://www.thirdway.org/memo/was-it-something-i-said

Memo
Published August 22, 2025

Was It Something I Said?

For a party that spends billions of dollars trying to find the perfect language to connect to voters, Democrats and their allies use an awful lot of words and phrases no ordinary person would ever dream of saying. The intent of this language is to include, broaden, empathize, accept, and embrace. The effect of this language is to sound like the extreme, divisive, elitist, and obfuscatory, enforcers of wokeness. To please the few, we have alienated the many—especially on culture issues, where our language sounds superior, haughty and arrogant.

Therapy-Speak

These words say “I’m more empathetic than you, and you are callous to hurting other’s feelings.”

Privilege
    Violence (as in “environmental violence”)
    Dialoguing
    Othering
    Triggering
    Microaggression/assault/invalidation
    Progressive stack
    Centering
    Safe space
    Holding space
    Body shaming

Be aware of words proliferating in elite circles that have closed off open conversations and have made it uncomfortable for many people to engage in hard topics.
Seminar Room Language

This language says “I’m smarter and more concerned about important issues than you. Your kitchen table concerns are small.”

Subverting norms
    Systems of oppression
    Critical theory
    Cultural appropriation
    Postmodernism
    Overton Window
    Heuristic
    Existential threat to [climate, the planet, democracy, the economy]

When we use words people don’t understand, studies show that the part of their brain that signals distrust becomes more active, undermining our ability to reach them.
Organizer Jargon

These words say “we are beholden to groups, not individuals. People have no agency.”

Radical transparency
    Small ‘d’ democracy
    Barriers to participation
    Stakeholders
    The unhoused
    Food insecurity
    Housing insecurity
    Person who immigrated

Democrats can fight for the poor, the hungry, the homeless, and immigrants more effectively if they speak in everyday language and in the language of those most affected by these issues.
Gender/Orientation Correctness

These say “your views on traditional genders and gender roles are at best quaint.”

Birthing person/inseminated person
    Pregnant people
    Chest feeding
    Cisgender
    Deadnaming
    Heteronormative
    Patriarchy
    LGBTQIA+

Standing up to MAGA’s cruel attacks on gay and transgender people requires creating empathy and building a broad coalition, not confusing or shaming people who could otherwise be allies.
The Shifting Language of Racial Constructs

These words signal that talking about race is even more of a minefield. You will be called out as racist if you do not use the latest and correct terminology.

Latinx
    BIPOC
    Allyship
    Intersectionality
    Minoritized communities

As we fight racism and discrimination, we should reflect upon whether the words we are using are part of the reason Democrats are losing support from all non-White voter groups. We must know when to take a step back and listen, instead of peppering our websites, fundraising asks, and newsletters with sociology buzzwords.
Explaining Away Crime

This says: “The criminal is the victim. The victim is an afterthought.”

Justice-involved
    Carceration
    Incarcerated people
    Involuntary confinement
[/quote]

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