Language does not merely describe reality; it edits it. ~ (GPT) Every society develops a strange habit of softening harsh truths through carefully engineered words. Instead of saying someone was killed , officials might say there was "collateral damage." Companies do not fire employees; they conduct "downsizing initiatives." Governments do not spy on citizens; they implement "security measures." These words function as rhetorical cushions, absorbing the emotional impact of what is actually happening. This linguistic phenomenon is called euphemism , and while it may seem harmless, it often serves a much more insidious function: it distances people from the moral weight of reality. At first glance, euphemisms appear practical. After all, language is supposed to make difficult conversations easier. Doctors tell patients they "passed away" rather than bluntly stating they "died." Teachers say a student "needs improvement" rather t...
Click Play Theme to set the mood 🎧 While reading the ICE #1 prompt, I couldn't help but wonder who Benjamin Banneker really was. My wonder was driven by the thought that I had never heard his name, which was unusual, as he must have been famous enough to be a topic of an AP Language essay prompt and to have written a letter to Thomas Jefferson. I decided to do some research to uncover his extraordinary accomplishments, as I was curious after reading the fairly long list of his occupations mentioned in the prompt: Astronomer, SOS, mathematician, poet, etc. Banneker lived his entire life in Baltimore County, Maryland, where he farmed tobacco on a modest plot of land. Banneker constructed his famous clock when he was only 22 years old. In an age when timepieces were still somewhat rare in the American colonies, visitors came from near and far to see a working clock built by a young man of color. Famous political figures widely recogn...