It is beneficial to modify our language, to reject terms that disparage, demean or carry with them bigotry and prejudice. But when a directive is issued that a serial killer will be known as a “student” or a “patient,” rather than an “offender,” the softening of the language has gone too far.
The Washington State Department of Corrections has set out to expunge the word “offender” from its vocabulary and its documents. It has already cleansed its official vocabulary of the word “inmate.”
“The term ‘offender’ does have a negative connotation and significantly impacts a broad group of people and communities,” says a memo written by Dick Morgan, acting department secretary. The memo directs that, effective Nov. 1, the department is phasing out the offending term, to be “replaced with ‘individuals’ or other applicable terms such as ‘student’ or ‘patient’ where/when appropriate.”
By its very name, a corrections system is an entity that aims to help offenders (sorry, we cannot avoid using the word) to make corrections in their lives.
It’s good that most progressive countries have moved away from the notion that incarceration should punish, wreak vengeance upon, dehumanize and otherwise abuse those who have broken the law and are subsequently brought under the purview of such a system. (It takes a lot of words to write around the word “offenders.”) It is proper that people be treated with respect and consideration, regardless of what they have done — you cannot lift people up if you are constantly putting them down.
But language should not be manipulated so that it disguises reality. It should not be used to soften harsh truths or cover up the truth altogether.
Of course, it happens all the time in many facets of life. A car lot advertises “pre-owned” vehicles, because that presents a better impression than “used cars.” Houses are described as having “great potential,” which can mean what it says, or not. Coaches say their teams are in a “building season.” Politicians, both in and out of power, before and after elections, seem incapable of putting two consecutive sentences together without using euphemisms or doublespeak.
Those are relatively harmless instances, though. Most people are not fooled by the gussied-up language.
And there’s much to be gained by the conscious shaping of language to avoid stereotyping people because of disabilities, race, gender or physical characteristics. To use “persons with disabilities,” for example, rather than “the disabled,” is not disguising the truth, but focusing on the person, not the disability. That is not fuzzy language, but more accurate language.
But, according to Washington Corrections policy, Gary Ridgway is now a “student,” evoking images of a person immersed in books, poring over research papers, expanding his intellect.
And perhaps he is, but Ridgway is, first and foremost, the Green River Killer, who was convicted of killing 49 persons, has admitted to having at least 71 victims and is believed to have killed more than 90. He has offended monstrously. He is an offender, and no amount of calling him a student or a patient will change that. It is neither recriminatory nor prejudicial to say so, it is fact.
That goes for other serial killers, rapists and thieves. The term “offender” should not follow them when they have done their time and turned their lives around, but the process of redemption starts with the acknowledgment they have offended. They should not be limited forever by that label, but there are times when “offender” is exactly the right term to use.
We should choose our words carefully, but we should not change their meanings to suit our agendas.
As Roald Dahl’s Big Friendly Giant advises: “Don’t gobblefunk around with words.”
