2022 Political Phrases that need to be Retired- or do they

2022 is officially in the rear view mirror and 2023 is here. Celebrations were had, midnight kisses were shared and now it is time to look forward to what we hope is a productive year. Some of the tasks of looking forward is reviewing what has been done.

Politics continue to be a hot topic discussion that has for years, and continues to divide the country. The Republican vs Democrat or the Conservative vs Liberal debate is more dividing than Ford vs Chevy or Bobcats vs Grizzlies. Well, maybe not the Cat- Griz debate. Those folks can be really passionate about their team!

One of the things that I thought we should review about 2022 is some of the words or terms that have become all too common in the political world as well as the media realm. Here is my list and why I think these words/ phrases need to be retired:

Woke- according to Wikipedia is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) meaning "alert to racial prejudice and discrimination." So often the word is used to describe a negative situation and based on the definition from Wikipedia, rightly so. However, the term has been used so often it now refers to anyone that disagrees with your thoughts and opinions. Let’s retire the word and just say what we mean. Quit using the word to describe everything all of the time.
Let’s circle back to that in a while- next up is a phrase that has been made popular at the White House press briefings. I heard it most often by Jen Psaki, President Biden’s former press secretary. I don’t know if Ms. Psaki made the term famous or is just the person who used it on the largest stage. I think instead of using that term, just say. I don’t know but I will do some research and report back. I don’t know, maybe that is too simple. Let’s park this one for now and circle back later.
If the science shows- is another term that started growing in 2019 during the pandemic. It has been used to talk about many topics including delisting of the Grizzly Bear. The problem is, not the science but the person interpreting the science. I have been told by politicians that the science supports delisting the Grizzly and I have been told that the science isn’t clear yet. All the same, it is being used as a political football not as actual scientific data.

So do me a favor and retire these 3 phrases. I am sure there are many more that need to go away. Let me know your thoughts.