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Euphemism Treadmill Cycle

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Political correct language limits the use of offensive terms that promote conscious thinking about how people stereotype one another. Politically incorrect language is demanding to many racial groups such as Native Americans who are mocked through the Washington “Redskins”. Those with special needs have also been affected by politically incorrectness because they feel out of place when being referred to as “mentally retarded.” This process is called the Euphemism Treadmill cycle. Euphemism Treadmill is a process that describes the cycle of discarded dysphemisms, used as a “word replacement strategy”. In order for America to stay the “greatest nation” we must eliminate political incorrectness in our everyday society. Political incorrect language lies within the National Football League, Washington “Redskins”. The Washington's Redskins football cap has a picture of a “big-nosed, buck toothed redskin caricature just above the brim” Jack Shakely stated, about her first time going to a Redskins game. The hat was an emotional mock to the Native American culture. Jack Shakely asked the question “In 21st century America, to name a sports team after an African American, Asian or any other ethnic group is unthinkable. So why are Native Americans still fair game?” Eliminating the stereotyping in general with political correctness would solve the issue of racial discrimination in …show more content…

This cycle has three steps starting with the form of a new word: Euphemism a polite expression then the next step to Neutral expression and then to Dysphemism: Nasty expression (Roswell, pg. 283). The Euphemism Treadmill Cycle shows how terms go through a cycle of becoming a “good” term thats used, to a polite expression, then to a neutral expression and then a nasty expression. This cycle eliminates some of political incorrectness to define new terms instead of suing demanding ones such as “retarded”

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