Words are scary

I get exasperated by the power people give certain words. Granted, language is a tool possessed of daunting scope and infinite potential for refinement which is nothing to be looked upon lightly. Language is unutterably powerful.

That said, words are merely components of the whole. Words encompass one discreet little concept packaged to be linked to yet more words to construct more complex strings of information. It is possible to convey an entire line of communication in just one or two words, but it is crude, imprecise, depends on non-lexical cues for comprehension. For example, barking "Sit!" or "Shut up!" at someone requires clues outside of the words themselves to convey the full import. Vastly more precise and direct to utilize a few more words to refine what is meant to be conveyed.

So when I learn about some overly-sensitive twits rending their garments and donning sackcloth with matching nettles g-string because of a particular word, it annoys the bloody blue blazes out of me. For instance, some overly coddled lack-wit in Nebraska with unfortunately too much talent at whining to the right ears has developed a wild hair concerning the humble little word, "sex." Consequently, the government in their infinite need to appease the hysterical morons, pardon I mean wisdom, have stricken the term from public informational documents.

Why? Because it's a dirty word. It's almost profanity and good, wholesome people shouldn't be exposed to it. Think of the damage it might do if an impressionable child got ahold of the word! Who knows what sort of demented, perverted concepts will then be able to be comprehended with the addition of this term in their lexicon!

Yeah, that's the variety of mental activity that launches people into letter writing campaigns to protest trashcans or concrete pylons are "phallic" because they're cylindrical or devote countless hours examining cartoon frames for something to brandish as suggestive. These people have serious issues when nothing around them can ever "just be a cigar."

There is no such thing as a bad word. Some are more or less appropriate to a given situation, but if it conveys meaning, it's a word. Arbitrarily designating a word as "good" or "bad" is being mentally lazy and unforgivably simple.

Excising "sex" out of public informational materials is criminally irresponsible. How can the average Nebraskan hope to make an informed decision regarding medications if the presence of sexual side-effects will be kept back? Can you imagine the difficulty state clinics now encounter in bringing up anything having to do with the genitoreproductive tract of patients? How much more complex is it going to make differentiating information by gender?

When you decide a word, regardless of context, is harmful it's like deciding a 7/16" socket-wrench or a hammer is harmful. At the very least, it's inconvenient. At worst, it's crippled your abilities.

It's just a damned word. Get over yourself.