Discussion: Divided by Language: The Politics of Words + 200TH EVENT PARTY!!!

* * TAKE NOTE THIS IS NOT OUR USUAL DATE & TIME * *
This event will be on Friday at 7pm. This is a one-time change. Following events will be in our usual timeslot.

* * Shoes-Off Venue * *
This venue requires that you remove your outdoor footwear on arrival.

* * Feel free to bring food or drinks * *
* * Participation is optional - you can join us to speak or to listen * *
* * It's our 200th event!!! I'm bringing drinks and food!! * *

Left, right, man, woman, gender, cancel, racism, violence, harm, safety, hate - these are among the words at the center of the most heated arguments in society today. Yet it seems the crux of the conflict is often lack of clarity and agreement about what these words actually mean, causing opposing sides to misunderstand and talk past each other. The uses and associations of basic English words are rapidly changing, and relatively new words and phrases are gaining currency in the debates while their meanings are still unclear to many people - woke, alt-right, nonbinary, terf, Karen. Phrases such as "pro life/choice" and "black/blue/all lives matter" have become slogans for political teams whose connotations are increasingly removed from their literal meanings.

Words map to concepts, the understanding of things that we hold in our minds. They shape the way that we view the world. If you believe that the word "marriage" necessarily implies union between one man and one women, then it's difficult to imagine a world where same-sex marriage is acceptable. If you assume that a "right-wing" person must be a racist or authoritarian then it's difficult to consider their political opinions with an open mind. Do you say "pro-life", "pro-birth", or "anti-choice"? Just as armies fight to control strategic land on the battlefield, political teams fight to control strategic words and weaponize their definitions.

How do words get twisted for political ends? What are the pitfalls of language? How can we become better political actors? Watch what you say!

Join us for fun, friendly and substantive discussion about the important topics of the day. All opinions are welcome for this friendly, moderated discussion.

How it Works
Everyone will be invited to share their opinion, share relevant facts and reasoning, and respond to the views of others.

Our moderator will ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to speak and that dialogue will be kept respectful. All viewpoints are welcome. After the event, you are invited to stay for friendly, informal discussion if you wish.

Aren't you worried about having an event with 50+ people?!?
No because there will not be 50 people at the event. On Meetup, many attendees cancel at the last minute, and many are no-shows who skip the event without cancelling. I set the RSVP limit to 55 people, I reduce that limit to 45 in the last two days before the event, and then 20-30 people will actually attend.

This allows us to hit our attendance target of 15-30 people, and it ensures that attendees have their spot guaranteed weeks in advance. This makes the guest count inaccurate, but it's the simplest way to provide you a reliable and positive RSVP experience.

Suggested Reading

Politics and the English Language by George Orwell
https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/politics-and-the-english-language/

Ideals
Please read the Studio 42 Ideals before attending the event:
http://stu42.co/ideals

Admission
Admission is free. We accept donations to help fund our events.

Latecomers
Latecomers are welcome but we start promptly at 6:05pm so if you arrive late, you will miss out!