Posted on 02/19/2020 5:50:29 PM PST by karpov
A new law in California bans the use, in official documents, of the term “at risk” to describe youth identified by social workers, teachers, or the courts as likely to drop out of school, join a gang, or go to jail. Los Angeles assemblyman Reginald B. Jones-Sawyer, who sponsored the legislation, explained that “words matter.” By designating children as “at risk,” he says, “we automatically put them in the school-to-prison pipeline. Many of them, when labeled that, are not able to exceed above that.”
The idea that the term “at risk” assigns outcomes, rather than describes unfortunate possibilities, grants social workers deterministic authority most would be surprised to learn they possess. Contrary to Jones-Sawyer’s characterization of “at risk” as consigning kids to roles as outcasts or losers, the term originated in the 1980s as a less harsh and stigmatizing substitute for “juvenile delinquent,” to describe vulnerable children who seemed to be on the wrong path. The idea of young people at “risk” of social failure buttressed the idea that government services and support could ameliorate or hedge these risks.
Instead of calling vulnerable kids “at risk,” says Jones-Sawyer, “we’re going to call them ‘at-promise’ because they’re the promise of the future.” The replacement term—the only expression now legally permitted in California education and penal codes—has no independent meaning in English. Usually we call people about whom we’re hopeful “promising.” The language of the statute is contradictory and garbled, too. “For purposes of this article, ‘at-promise pupil’ means a pupil enrolled in high school who is at risk of dropping out of school, as indicated by at least three of the following criteria: Past record of irregular attendance . . . Past record of underachievement . . . Past record of low motivation or a disinterest in the regular school program.”
(Excerpt) Read more at city-journal.org ...
It’s Neuro-linguistic programming.
Yup, this should be apparent to any 40+ adult
Keep in mind the major media corps facilitating the corruption such as Comcast, Disney, Turner/ATT
A bit off topic but you should hear people try to pronounce my home town, DeFuniak Springs.
The ‘Rats are at risk of losing the 2020 elections.
Define the language and you have defined the argument.
Define the argument and you have won the argument because there is no way for you to lose.
Do not accept their verbiage.
Stick with reality.
“Los Angeles assemblyman Reginald B. Jones-Sawyer, who sponsored the legislation, explained that “words matter.” By designating children as “at risk,” he says, “we automatically put them in the school-to-prison pipeline. Many of them, when labeled that, are not able to exceed above that. ... Instead of calling vulnerable kids “at risk,” says Jones-Sawyer, “we’re going to call them ‘at-promise’ because they’re the promise of the future.”
Reginald, you’re a real genius. Each of these ne’er-do-well blockheads will now be in post-graduate programs rather than in the slammer because you are mandating they be labeled “at-promise” instead of “at risk.”
This approach is so easy. Why didn’t someone think of this before now?
Yeah, you can keep changing the phrases to describe things, but it doesn’t take long for everyone to figure out what’s really going on.
Locally, they decided to change the name of the ‘Alternative’ High School—a school for those who could not or would not fit in in the regular high school—to ‘The Academy’. They changed the name because of the negative connotation but ‘The Academy’ is the same school with the same kids. No one is fooled.
Whew. I’m glad that problem’s solved.
Just you the correct term, juvenile delinquents.
“progressive elected officials abuse language in an attempt to change how we think.”
The author refers to them as “progressive”; apparently they’ve gotten to him, too.
This really IS 1984, except with technology owned by the powerful that Orwell could not have even imagined.
I used to love playing that board game “promise”, where I would try to take over the world.
The leftists are pro at this. They learned well from Orwell.
We are rank amateurs, in fact are so bad at and unaware of it that we subconsciously fall into their trap and use their language.
I guess we are no longer “at risk” of catching the Coronavirus. We are “at promise” of catching it.
George Orwell. Please turn over in your grave. You have just won the “Orwellian Marxist Words Exposures Award” for telling the truth about the communists, way ahead of what we now have in America.
California progressives: making the world safe of Marxism and insanity. Come on San Andreas, do your thang.
at risk, hurtful..........promising young star now that’s the ticket
:: By designating children as “at risk,” he says, “we automatically put them in the school-to-prison pipeline. ::
Imagine! If only the Nazi’s hadn’t made the Jews wear yellow stars, there would have been no holocaust.
#amiright
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