Prejudice Redefined
Have you noticed how many words are going through a transformation of definitions which have no connection with the original definition at all? In this PC world we live in, it seems people randomly redefine words so the meaning is twisted to fit a situation which has no connection to the definition of the word at all. In the end, this is nothing more than another example of situation ethics. If you don’t like the situation you’re in, simply use a word and twist the meaning so it fits your situation.
Over the past week I’ve noticed such a transformation with the word prejudice. It started with a casual conversation with my son who’s working on a high school paper. He said he’s writing about prejudice. I of course thought he was going to look at a civil rights issue. But no, such is not the case. Instead, he went on to spin out his thesis for the paper saying he’s writing about the prejudice people with body piercing face. Umm, excuse? Body pierced people facing prejudice? What a minute. That’s a choice people make and if they don’t want to be presentable in the world, then it’s their choice to look like some kind of pin cushion full of holes and hunks of metal. My son went on to say people with body piercings face prejudicial situations when they’re denied jobs and other things like that. No, that’s not prejudice. That’s common sense, and again, it’s their choice to look like what they look like.
Now some of the people involved in the polygamy colony are claiming prejudice in the way they’re being dealt with. Hold it! Prejudice? No I don’t think so. Of course the people are complaining about the way they’re being treated. They don’t like the fact they’re being treated like criminals. Instead, they’re saying it’s because the world is prejudice toward them and don’t understand them. Umm, no, that’s not the case at all. The fact of the matter is, polygamy is against the law, and therefore you are criminals. There’s no prejudicial mindset there.
Let’s recap for a moment here. Just what does the word prejudice mean? Webster’s defines the word as; 1: Injury or damage resulting from some judgment or action of another in disregard of one’s rights; especially, detriment to one’s legal rights or claims; 2a1: Preconceived judgment or opinion; 2: An adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before suffcient knowledge; b: An instance of such judgment or opinion; c: An irrational attitude of hostility directed against an indivual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics.
Again, let’s recap here; Those with body-piercing have made a concious choice of their own to make their bodies pin cushions. To say people are prejudice toward them because of a choice they made, does not fit the definition. Secondly, the polygamist have broken the law. It is against the law to have more than one wife. So, for those in the polygamist colony to now say they’re not criminals, and instead are facing a prejudicial mindset from others, is simply not the case. You broke the law, there’s no prejudice mindset at all.
It’s time to stop the situational ethics mindset, and discover what words really mean before we toss them around just to make people feel sorry for us.
Just my two cents,
Dr. Rus
