Her lack of judgment

Without failure, I found my brain tickled last Wednesday morning by Brenda Looper’s column, “So (not) offensive.” For regular readers of the Voices page, and Ms. Looper’s column, you know this was about the misunderstanding of good words most folks choose not to use because they are often construed to be offensive.

The word “stupidity”—generally not misunderstood; however, quite descriptive of some folks’ behavior—is defined by the online Oxford Dictionaries as behavior that shows a lack of good sense or judgment. Obviously, it doesn’t matter how smart an individual might be, their lack of good sense or judgment is subject to erupt unbridled like lava from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. When that happens, those of us who prefer good behavioral decorum find ourselves aghast, or without surprise.

Last Tuesday, the ABC Network fired Roseanne Barr because of her lack of judgment. Using racially charged language on Twitter is offensive. Ms. Barr was enjoying an historic reboot of the show Roseanne, but her lack of judgment resulted in her immediate termination, the absence of some weekly comic relief for many, and the loss of employment for who knows how many.

The phrase “politically correct” isn’t necessarily offensive, but behavior that exemplifies it is. Sticks and stones may break bones, but contrary to what I was told as a child, words can hurt in ways often unspoken. HOSEA LONG

Little Rock