Words I hate

Institutional

It all started with that judge's report into the Met, which introduced the phrase 'institutional racism.' At the time I thought, 'what's he mean, institutional'? Was racism official policy? Did interviewers have instructions to ask racist questions or use racist screening techniques?

OK, maybe there was 'cultural' racism. In other words, a laddish, working class attitude to blacks, Asians, etc, among police officers. Maybe - no, certainly - a tendency to assume that if you're black and driving a big car you must have nicked it. But 'institutional'? It's a misuse of the word.

It hasn't gone away. I've recently heard it about in connection with women executives, or lack of them, in the City. And with the scarcity of female judges.

Community

This is connected with 'institutional'. The fact that it is used so widely shows how the sociological method has infiltrated all government and media pronouncements. On other words, everyone is defined by some group that they belong to. It shows lazy thinking to talk about the gay or Muslim or grey or hunting or scientific or international (!) or whatever other 'community' you invent to give the impression that there is a solid block of people with a single view.

It also allows self-appointed 'community leaders' to emerge, claiming some sort of spurious authority for their individual opinions.

It also links up with the idea that only members of a community can represent it. So we must have a proportional number of disabled, women, black and young MPs. Rubbish, I want a proportional number of MPs to represent my politics, not my age, sex, race or religion.

What is a community, after all? It's a village, a small group of people of all sorts living in the same place at the same time. All other uses are merely metaphorical or analogous, not factual.

Offence

Another link here. This morning I hear that employers are forbidding the decoration of offices with Christmas baubles and tinsel 'for fear of giving offence to members of other faiths.' don't they realise that most people who celebrate Christmas are of another faith, namely totally agnostic, practising non-Christians. Normal people don't belong to these groups, so beloved of the press. So why do intelligent people take notice.

Intelligent people, since I mention them, are always giving offence. Because they ask questions, because they doubt and refuse to take things for granted. 'Offence' is in the ear of the listener and shows intolerance, insecurity and intellectual backwardness.

For Christ's sake, I'm offended by a split infinitive or a refusal to use the subjunctive where appropriate.