A response to a Facebook post about the effect of language and social action.

"Well, as human beings language mediates everything: the law after all is written. In the beginning was the word no doubt about it because it was the only way we could know there was a beginning or end and a time when we did not have words! However, language  is always secondary to that which was wrong/new in the first place but becomes the means to retrench the e.g. racism or get rid of it or find the words to understand the discovery for example in physics or astronomy. In fact in evolutionary terms actions came before language and this is still the case. Something is seen and then it is explained. But there is a chicken and egg side to this so in a sense it will never be completely known whether actions first language second, language first action second."

" I think what people see and want to see removed/encouraged affects social systems they then start to discuss for or against. . Political correctness as it started off in the US was merely the politicisation of that which should not have been said in the first place because it was derogatory and impolite insofar as any person who was referred to in a way they did not want to be referred to had their wishes overrode. In other words an injustice was being done. In my view political correctness was really a manifestation of frustration and powerlessness over some racist and sexist evils that the US is plagued with."

"Political correctness never really remedied those it just appeared to outwardly but in people's hearts white and black racists still thought "nigger " or "honky" and sexists used their derogatory vocabulary but could not outwardly use it. That's why science and politics can help to remedy these problems but only spirituality and religion can completely remove them because the thoughts are removed. That said I think that for forever there will be some degree of tension between men and women because of the lack of definition of their absolute roles so men and women will always have something to talk about. As we both know!"

"In other words in my doggie brain just talking about something does not affect social systems unless actions embodied in institutions and laws and behaviour follow from it. "