They have become the equivalent of poison in the dictionary. Along the same lines, certain labels given to races also are reaching the point where they are losing meaning.

In studying the history of words, one has to wonder why some words became dirty while most remained acceptable. The two dirtiest swears — f**k and sh*t — define two acts necessary for human survival: reproduction and the removal of waste.

These words gained their evil status thanks to the church, which has a strong mission to defile the body and make common acts unholy. Beginning as blasphemy, swear words were first simply taking the Lord’s name in vain, stemming from the passage in the Bible forbidding “oaths,” which came to mean swear words. I often wonder why concise slang words used to describe such important acts are considered vile to this day, even as the church’s authority has been reduced.

Continuing on a touchy subject — one which I am expecting some very negative feedback on — I would like to discuss racial slurs.

In my James Madison class that centers solely on racism, we have discussed the negative effects and power of racism. One of the reasons subtle racism exists today is due to the lack of desire to talk about it because of the taboo surrounding it.

Rather than appear racist, people choose not to talk about racial issues, and thus the issues bubble below the surface. Only when racial issues are discussed out in the open, can they begin to be resolved.

On this note, I bring up the element of racial slurs. I find it a strange double standard that many people use the word n****r to accentuate companionship and brotherhood. When others use it, though, it is considered a capital verbal offense, the ultimate derogatory term.

Although there are several other slurs that fall into this category, I choose to highlight this one because, to many, it is considered the worst one.

It was to my dismay that when I researched the slur to make sure I was on the right track, its definition had been changed online and completely erased in several physical dictionaries.

The word n****r originally was Egyptian. It meant king, and it later came to mean divine. Other African peoples such as the Ethiopians, the Zulus and West African people took the word to mean emperor, official/counsel and people. However, that definition has been warped over the years, first by the Romans — who interacted with the Ethiopians — then by the British, and by every race from then on.

While on the topic of race, many politically correct terms used to describe people are inherently incorrect. I get a little frustrated when someone tells me to use the term “African American” instead of black.

A black person might have ancestors from Africa, but based on advances in anthropology that prove all humans first evolved and expanded out of Africa, we are all from Africa. That may be further debated by saying, “Well, they can actually trace their heritage there.” If we simply describe ethnicity by how far back we can trace our ancestors, then I suppose I should oppose to being called a white American — after all, how is being called white different than being called black? Rather, I should demand to be called “Irish American.” Does that sound ridiculous? Yes, because it is.

It is no different than being called African American.

I am content in simply being called an American because there is no need to point out my differences from my fellow citizens. Although it may be important to certain people to have their history be a part of them, not all of us want the location of our ancestors to become a part of our identity.

I understand the points I brought up will spark a lot of debate and disagreement. However, if one looks at the facts backed up by the logic of consistency, the decision to question the validity of political correctness makes a little more sense.

It is very unfortunate that words have been warped, especially when they are given the power to hurt and offend, as is the case with racial slurs. That is why it is important to learn what the words really mean so that they not only lose their power, their meaning is reversed; from being demeaning to dignifying.

Jameson Joyce is a State News guest columnist and James Madison freshman. Reach him at joyceja1@msu.edu.