I’m against discriminating against disabled people. I think everyone has the right to work, take care of themselves, and be a productive part of society. What I am against is the way some people turn every word, every phrase, and any imagined act into an act of discrimination.

A website called Disabled Feminists takes issue with the word lame. According to the Urban Dictionary, “lame” has a lot of definitions, only one of which means “a person who can’t walk.” The political correctness cops don’t care about that. They want to grip the original definition in a language vise, and force people to only use that word when referring to someone who can’t walk. Which confuses me, because we’re not supposed to use the word lame or disabled, either, so what is the fuzzy term we can use? I think a few years ago it was otherwise-abled, or handi-capable, but those are probably not in fashion anaymore.

From the thread:

“It’s a bit unclear when people started using the word in the context of events/situations/objects, although it appears to have started around the 18th century.”

So, is this the evolution of language, or 300 years of oppression? I’m saying the former.

Find me one instance within the past 10 years where the word has been used in common conversation to mean a person who can’t walk.

“This usage is highly divorced from its origin and needs to stop.”

Words evolve over time. In American English, many words have evolved from their original usage. To use words only as defined when they originated will remove the color and variety that make up the American English language.

“Weak” is ableist because weakness is part and parcel of some disabilities.”

Perhaps they mean weak, as in weak tea. (definition: deficient in the essential or usual properties or ingredients). Using that definition, there is no way that calling something else weak is ableist.

“Political Correctness” is the practice of censoring all the words that certain groups don’t want the rest of society to use in any way. More and more, people are concerned that anything and everything they say will bring down the wrath of the political correctness enforcers. Whether anyone was really insulted, or hurt by the words doesn’t matter. The language cops want us all to only think and speak in politically-approved ways.

There are certainly words that are meant to be perjorative, and were from first use. We should avoid those. But what about words that were never meant to harm, that some group has decided are harmful, because they want them to be ?

Should we all speak in Olde English. Should words only be used in their most literal definition, even if that word has multiple definitions? Should we shun every one who speaks differently from us, and embrace only those who speak exactly the way we do, and have the same values and prejudices? Yes, prejudices. Because choosing to be offended by the word usage of others, and expecting them to act as we wish, is a definite prejudice.

I have a disability. I don’t define myself by it. Being self-focused, and insulted every time someone uses a word that can be remotely related to my disability is a waste of time and energy. I have challenges I work with and through, and am more interested in associating with people I like who also like me. The more I call attention to our differences, the more negative attention I receive, and the more uncomfortable others become.

Lighten up. Relax. I choose to embrace the evolution of language, and stop looking for offense where none is truly given. If everyone chose to do the same, we’d no longer have to ask, “Can’t we all just get along?”

The “Cash Gifting” groups are soliciting under a bunch of different names, but the theme is the same. You join, pay a cash “gift” to the person who recruits you, and then you recruit people who give cash “gifts” to you. Their premise is that it is legal to give a gift to anyone, and they’ll tell you that it is exempt from taxes. Some of these groups claim that a charity is being supported, or that this is a charitable activity. Cash Gifting, under any name, is an illegal Ponzi pyramid scheme. Participation could mean at the least that you lose the money “gifted” and at the most, you could be arrested for participating this illegal activity, which is a felony. You can also be sued by everyone you get to sign up under you.

Don’t let biblical quotes and the false representation of being a charity fool you into believing you can gain monetary success through an Cash Gifting program.

The Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission suggest that anyone who is approached to join a gifting scheme should:

• Consider that a legitimate gift has no strings attached
• Avoid being misled into thinking a gifting club is legitimate because the members say they consider their payments a gift and expect nothing in return. This is an attempt to make an illegal transaction look legal.
• Be wary of success stories or testimonials of tremendous payoffs. Very few members of illegal gifting clubs or pyramid schemes ever receive any money.
• Take your time. Don’t buckle under to a high-pressure sales pitch that requires you to join immediately or risk losing out on the opportunity.
• Remember that pyramid schemes are illegal. Avoid plans that offer commissions based solely on recruiting new members.
• Don’t be swayed by assurances that the scheme has been “approved” or that charities will benefit from the gifting club. Before risking your money, your reputation, and your peace of mind, review the plan with an accountant or an independent attorney who is experienced in consumer law.

 

They also promote themselves as a legitimate business opportunity, where there will be:

• No Selling
• No Explaining
• No Chasing Family or Friends
• No Convincing
• No Products people don’t want or need

Other groups claim you can get a “Mortgage Free” home by saying:

• you can obtain a custom built home, with very little money as down payment.
• you do not have to pay any further out of pocket expense to own a home.
• you will obtain your home in far less time than with a conventional mortgage.
• you can earn large monthly incomes forever, and they can even be “willed.”

These people are flooding the internet with a bunch of false information. They have nice websites, and they publish press releases. They claim to be endorsed by Oprah. They send chain letters, and do telemarketing. They claim you can get (fill in any dollar amount here) from people all over the world. They say you can turn $5 into $75,000 in 3 weeks. They say that the more you “gift,” the more you’ll receive. Some of them include a product or download, or lifetime membership as a way to try to cover up the illegal “gifting” activity. Don’t believe what they tell you.

There are also “download” and “lifetime membership” groups that are cash gifting scams that claim (quoting one such website):

• You will answer no emails!
• You will never need to build a website to earn money
• You will earn money without paying membership fees or recurring membership fees!
• There will be no silly over saturated affiliate programs you will need to promote!
• You will obviously sell . . . absolutely nothing!
• You won’t ever talk to prospects. Okay, you will answer to your referrals, but you do not EVER need to physically do it or via phone. This is limited to comments and talking “through the pen”!
• You will NEVER call anyone!
• You will obviously NOT gamble, and with my help . . . not even with Google Adwords!
• You will receive money without paying subscription fees and NO Monthly Subscription!
• You need NO high start up costs!
• In fact when you join, that will be the ONLY money you will be spending!

These scams masquerade under a bunch of different names, and the scammers dress up their scams in different ways. If they promise you Free Money, run in the opposite direction. The names change all the time, so just because it’s not on the list below doesn’t mean that it’s a legal group, activity or opportunity.

Some names, terms, and websites often used by groups like this include:

1-Up
90 days with Dell
A Gift Network
Abundance
Abundant Living System
ALS
Avalanche of Payments
Cash1234DotCom.com
CashGifting4Every1.com
Cash Giving Mentor
Cash Gift Proof
CashGiftGenerator.com
CashGiftTrainer.com
Cash Leveraging Made Simple
cashinwithchris.com
Charity Begins at Home
CommonSenseCashStation.net
Constitutional Rights Kindness Free association
Decide Freedom Now
Dedicated Marketers
Destiny
Elite Activities
Elite Activity
Elite Resurrected
Environmental Constr Solutions Inc.
Epic Wealth Systems
Eventis
EZ1Up
EZY Cash Gifts
FailProofCash.com
FastSimpleCashFlow.com
FGH Marketing
Freedom Club
Freedom 3000
freedomfighter3000.com
Freshmen Nice people Sophomore
fromrobbedtoriches.com
Get My Free Money
Gift Gifter I gave
Give Freely
Give Helping others Activity
Giving and Sharing Gifts
Golden Rule Associates Panel
goodyboyce.webs.com
Home Business Start up Funds
I have gifted Giving Family
ICF World Homes
Investment Club
Invited by Fellow man Community
Jacob’s Ladder
key-to-cash.com
Liberty League International
LivetoProsper.biz
LivingRoomGoldMine.com
Mission Cash Complete
Mortgage Free Homes
My Incentive Website
NetESPRESSO
NewCashGiftingSystem.com
Operation 20k
Participation Register your gift Giving
Pay it Forward
PIF
PopnLife
Power of People Network
Prosperity Man’s Channel
RealPassiveCash.com
Receive Junior Participant
Retirement Club
Right to give Senior I have received
Rockstar Marketing
Season of Sharing
Sharing Caring Invitation
Summit
The Abundant Pay it Forward Gift Program
The Cash Leveraging System
The Friendship Investment Club
The Last Program
The Online Cash System
The Power of Leadership
The Spirit of Giving
The World’s first Interdenominational Belief System on the Internet!
thiswillbehuge.com
Toni’s Resources
True Wealth Today
Upgrade My Cash
You can retire soon
YourFatPockets.com

Note: I compiled the above information from data collected from http://scam.com/, the BBB, FTC, and other online resources. If you have legal, incontrovertible proof that one of the above groups is not involved in illegal activity, please comment to this post, and I will remove them from the list.

Update:
Since posting this earlier today, I’ve beeen contacted by a dozen people who want me to sign up with their scam. Can’t these people read?

As if.

It sounds wonderful. Everyone would benefit from a boost in lifestyle, the recession would end, and the US would be strong.

No, not really. Let me explain.

It’s not just that their math is wrong, which it is. The logic is what is flawed the most. I’m not going to cover everything, but let’s look at a simple view. The effects will fan out from there.

1. If AIG is not bailed out, millions of people would immediately become uninsured. The money that they get from the bailout alternative would need to be set aside to cover medical costs, to self-insure their property and casualty risk, and cover investments and retirement benefits that they have lost.

2. Those who invested with AIG, and were receiving retirement payouts would lose their benefits. The bailout alternative payment would not cover their living expenses and medical costs for the rest of their lives, and these people would then increase the rolls of welfare recipients. They lose their quality of life, and everything they worked for.

3. Many businesses who depend on AIG for their liability coverage, workers comp, employee benefits and lines of credit will fail. Their employees will lose their jobs. The money these employees would get from the bailout alternative would need to sustain them while they try to find employment, while competing with the drastically increased numbers of unemployed. These people would be at a huge disadvantage to everyone else who didn’t lose their jobs, and got this bonus.

Step back from AIG now, and look at what this payout would do to the economy.

1. Raising minimum wage has been proven many times to have no positive impact on the economy. It just raises the dollar value of the poverty level to keep it in line with inflation. The poor stay just as poor as they were the day before.

2. More money doesn’t equal greater wealth. Flooding the market with more dollars has the opposite effect. If everyone got a big check as suggested, the dollar value of the poverty level would be raised once again. As we learned in Economics 101, prices will go up. More people will become impoverished. The rich stay rich; the poor stay poor, with more dollars in their pocket. That dollar is now worth less.

None of this takes into account all the money AIG owes others, the money the US owes foreign governments, the money foreign governments owe us, and all the complicated bookkeeping that goes into running a country as large and wealthy as the United States. Our leaders are making the best of a very difficult situation in order to protect everything we hold dear. It’s more than a simple financial decision.